Nov 06, 2024 Environmental Commission

PUBLIC COMMUNICATION AND WE HAVE ONE, UH, PUBLIC SPEAKER.

AND NEXT UP WE HAVE

[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]

MR. ROY WHALEY.

HOW HOWDY Y'ALL? GOOD EVENING.

I DON'T EVEN KNOW FOR SURE WHAT I WANT TO SAY, EXCEPT FOR THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.

AND LET'S, LET'S PLEASE TAKE CARE OF THE ENVIRONMENT HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS, THE BEST WE CAN.

WE WOKE UP THIS MORNING IN JUST A DIFFERENT WORLD, AND IN MY OPINION, A VERY SCARY WORLD.

AND I WOULD LOVE TO RUN AWAY AND HIDE, BUT I CAN'T BECAUSE IT'S NOT IN MY NATURE.

AND I HAVE MY CHILDREN AND MY GRANDCHILDREN AND OTHER PEOPLE'S CHILDREN AND THEIR GRANDCHILDREN, AND THEN THEIR GRANDCHILDREN TO THINK ABOUT.

SO I'M NOT GONNA RUN AND HIDE.

I DON'T KNOW HOW I'LL DEAL WITH THIS, BUT I'M GONNA DO THE BEST I CAN AND I'M GONNA ASK Y'ALL TO HELP ME.

I WANT US ALL TO LEAN ON EACH OTHER.

I WANT PEOPLE OF GOOD HEARTS TO STAY TOGETHER AND HOLD TOGETHER.

WE'RE GONNA SEE SO MANY CHANGES AT THE EPA, WE WON'T EVEN RECOGNIZE IT ANYMORE.

SO THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS HAS GOT TO KEEP THE FAITH, AND WE'VE GOT TO KEEP WORKING TOGETHER.

THERE WILL BE HARD DECISIONS TO MAKE.

WE HAVE TO LOOK AT EVERYTHING THROUGH THIS NEW LENS OF WE HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS NOT FOR US, AND NOT EVEN FOR THE PEOPLE THAT ARE EXHORTING US TO DO IT, BUT FOR THE ENVIRONMENT THROUGH THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.

IT'S THE ONLY ONE WE'VE GOT.

WE'VE GOT TO DO IT.

AND I, I, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY WHEN I GOT UP HERE, AND I STILL DON'T KNOW EXCEPT FOR PLEASE.

AND I APPRECIATE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.

AND I AM READY AND WILLING TO WORK WITH ANY OF YOU THAT WANT TO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT OF AUSTIN, TEXAS, TEXAS, UNITED STATES, THE WHOLE WORLD.

WE ONLY HAVE ONE.

LET'S DO THE BEST WITH IT THAT WE CAN.

ANY WAY I CAN HELP REACH OUT TO ME.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU, MR. WHALEY.

UM, NEXT STEP

[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]

IS APPROVAL OF MINUTES.

HAVE ALL THE COMMISSIONERS HAD A CHANCE? UH, JUST A MATTER OF HOUSEKEEPING REALLY QUICK.

IS THERE ANY WAY TO DIM THE LIGHTS OVER THE SCREENS ON THIS SIDE? BECAUSE I CAN BARELY SEE THEM.

I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE IS HAVING A PROBLEM SEEING THOSE AS WELL, BUT THEY'RE REALLY WASHED OUT.

THANK YOU, CHERYL.

I'LL MOVE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM OCTOBER 2ND.

SECOND.

MOTION BY SULLIVAN.

SECONDED BY RESI.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? RAISE YOUR HANDS.

WE HAVE FER, SHERA, RESI, BEDFORD, BRISTOL, SULLIVAN, AND BRIMER.

MOTION PASSES.

THANK YOU, COMMISSIONERS.

NEXT UP WE HAVE PUBLIC HEARINGS

[2. Presentation, discussion, and recommendation to amend City Code Title 25 (Land Development) to increase erosion protections along the Colorado River below Longhorn Dam – Matt Hollon, Watershed Protection Department, Matt.Hollon@austintexas.gov, 512-974-2238]

AND ACTION ITEMS. FIRST UP, WE HAVE PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION, AND RECOMMENDATION TO AMEND CITY CODE, UH, TITLED TWO FIVE LAND DEVELOPMENT TO INCREASE EROSION PROTECTIONS ALONG THE COLORADO RIVER BELOW LONGHORN DAM.

AND I BELIEVE, UH, WE HAVE A STAFF PRESENTATION.

HEY, GOOD EVENING, FOLKS.

UH, MY NAME IS MATT HOLLAND.

I WORK WITH WATERSHED PROTECTION.

AND BE HAPPY TO WALK YOU THROUGH THIS PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION.

UM, THIS IS, UM, HERE WE GO.

SEE IF I CAN GET THIS WORK.

ALL RIGHT.

SO I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA, I'M, I'M GONNA ATTEMPT TO PLAY A VIDEO HERE, AND I THINK IT'LL, IT WILL WORK, ACTUALLY.

UM, HEY, SIR.

WITH CTM.

[00:05:01]

SO WE'RE GONNA NEED TO SWITCH IT TO THE VIDEO MODE OR SOMETHING WHEN IT COMES UP.

SO THE, WE'LL, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE, WE'LL, WE'LL DO A VIDEO HERE IN A SECOND.

UM, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE RESO, THE COUNCIL RESOLUTION ITSELF AND WHAT IT WAS, WHAT ITS GOALS WERE, WHAT ITS OBJECTIVES WERE, ET CETERA.

UM, I'LL GO THROUGH A LITTLE BIT OF AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE RIVER.

THIS IS ALL DOWNSTREAM OF PLEASANT VALLEY ROAD AND THE DAM LONGHORN DAM ALL THE WAY OUT TO OUR FIVE MILE ETJ.

UM, AND THEN I WILL, UM, TALK ABOUT SOME WATER QUALITY AND ESPECIALLY EROSION ISSUES THAT ARE AFFECTING THIS AREA PRETTY DRAMATICALLY, UM, AND SOME COSTS TO OUR COMMUNITY.

AND THEN I'LL GO INTO SOME DETAIL ABOUT THE DRAFT ORDINANCE THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING ON THE STAFF SIDE.

AND THEN, UH, BRIEFLY GO THROUGH THE SCHEDULE AND THEN OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSION.

SO, UM, THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL, THAT'S A BEAUTIFUL PART OF THE RIVER.

AND THEN A LESS BEAUTIFUL PART, IF I CAN ADVANCE THIS.

COME ON, BABY.

THERE WE GO.

SO THIS IS, UM, AND I'LL, I'LL TALK ABOUT THIS MORE.

THIS IS FALWELL LANE, AFTER HAVING BEEN BLOWN OUT BY THE, UM, UH, ONE OF THE HALLOWEEN FLOODS.

THIS WAS WORKING BEAUTIFULLY AND PERFECTLY RIGHT BEFORE THE MEETING.

AND I'M HAVING A LITTLE TROUBLE WITH A CLICKER.

I AM ON, BABY.

THERE WE GO.

OH, IT'S GOING THE WRONG WAY.

OH, I SEE.

'CAUSE I'M NOT, I'M NOT HITTING THE RIGHT BUTTONS.

THAT WOULD BE, UH, USER ERROR.

UM, COULD I GET A LITTLE HELP? UM, YEAH, PUSHING THAT.

ACTUALLY, IF YOU GO BACK, IT, IT IS, THE BUTTON WOULD LINK AT THE BOTTOM.

IT'S THE BLUE LINK.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT AUSTIN TEXAS.GOV/RIVER PROTECTIONS.

SO OUR, OUR PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE STAFF, UH, PR CREATED THIS NICE PRESENTATION, WHICH YOU CAN SHARE WITH OTHER FOLKS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN THIS ORDINANCE.

IT SAYS A WHOLE LOT IN TWO MINUTES.

SAY MORE AND THE REST GO AHEAD.

YEAH, THAT WAS PLANNED.

I SEE.

AS THE COLORADO RIVER FLOWS THROUGH EAST AUSTIN, ITS BANKS AND FLOODPLAIN ARE PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE TO EROSION.

ALTHOUGH EROSION OCCURS THROUGHOUT AUSTIN NEAR THE COLORADO RIVER, THE SOILS TEND TO BE SANDY AND EASILY WASH AWAY.

THAT MAKES EROSION A POTENTIALLY MAJOR PROBLEM IN THIS AREA.

WE'VE ALREADY SEEN EROSION, THREATEN, OR DAMAGE HOMES, SMALL BUSINESSES, ROADS, PIPES, AND OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE IN THIS AREA.

AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN PUBLIC MONEY HAS BEEN SPENT TO FIX PROBLEMS CAUSED BY THE EROSION.

A HANDFUL OF UPDATES TO AUSTIN'S LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AND CRITERIA MANUALS COULD HELP PREVENT EROSION PROBLEMS FROM OCCURRING IN THE FIRST PLACE.

THESE UPDATES ARE SPECIFICALLY FOR THE AREA DOWNSTREAM OF LONGHORN DAM.

ONE IMPORTANT UPDATE WOULD WIDEN THE AREA WHERE YOU MUST CONDUCT AN EROSION HAZARD ZONE ANALYSIS IN ORDER TO GET CERTAIN PERMITS, FOR EXAMPLE, PERMITS TO ADD ON TO YOUR HOUSE OR BUILD A GUEST HOUSE.

THE ANALYSIS MIGHT SHOW THE NEED FOR PROTECTIVE MEASURES AGAINST EROSION TO BE INCORPORATED INTO THE BUILDING PLANS TO FURTHER PROTECT AGAINST EROSION TECHNICAL UPDATES TO THE DRAINAGE CRITERIA.

MANUAL WOULD PROVIDE DEVELOPERS AND ENGINEERS WITH GUIDANCE TO PREVENT NEW OUTFALLS FROM FORMING DEEP CANYONS.

EROSION PROBLEMS CAN BE EXPENSIVE AND SOMETIMES EVEN IMPOSSIBLE TO REPAIR OR MITIGATE.

THESE UPDATES TO CITY CODE AND CRITERIA WILL HELP SLOW OR STOP EROSION PROBLEMS FROM UNDERMINING HOMES, ROADS, AND OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE FUTURE.

ALL RIGHT, GREAT.

THOSE AND SEE IF THEY WERE DOING, UH, AN ADEQUATE JOB FOR THE RIVER.

AND AGAIN, THAT'S AVAILABLE ONLINE TO SHARE, AND I WILL KEEP PLOWING THROUGH THE PRESENTATION HERE WHEN IT'S READY.

ALRIGHT, SO THIS, THIS NEXT, UM, SO YOU, YOU CAN REALLY SEE A LOT OF THE, A LOT FROM THAT VIDEO.

YOU SAW THE SCALE OF THE BANKS, YOU SAW THE, THE EROSIVE NATURE.

YOU SAW SOME OF THE MANY PROBLEMS WE'RE SEEING OUT THERE.

AND SO, UM, SOME, UH, CONCERNED CITIZENS AND, UH, FOLKS FROM THE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL GROUP.

PODER, UH, APPROACHED COUNCIL BACK IN 2022.

THERE WERE SOME OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTIONS UNDER CONSIDERATION THAT YOU GUYS LOOKED AT, AT BACK, AT THAT TIME, UH, THE GREEN STORMWATER INFRASTRUCTURE MEASURE AND SO FORTH.

UM, AND SO IT, IT, IT ACTUALLY GOT FOLDED INTO THAT PACKAGE OF ORDINANCES AT THE TIME.

AND SO WHAT THE, WHAT THE, THE, UM, RESOLUTION FROM COUNCIL SAID WAS, HEY, STAFF, YOU NEED TO LOOK AT TWO VERY IMPORTANT TOOLS IN THE TOOLBOX FOR WATERSHED PROTECTION, CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE BUFFERS, AND EROSION HAZARD ZONE PROTECTIONS.

AND SO THEY WANTED TO LOOK AT

[00:10:01]

AND IF NOT, UH, IF, UH, ASKING US STAFF TO MAKE, TO PROPOSE CHANGES AND, AND THEN GO OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND TALK ABOUT IT.

WE HAD A NUMBER OF, OF, UH, CONCERNED CITIZENS SHOW UP AT THAT TIME AND SAY, HEY, WE HAVE WOR WORRIES ABOUT IMPACTS ON OUR PRIVATE PROPERTY AND SO FORTH.

UM, AND COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, CAREFULLY LISTENED AND SAID, HEY, THIS NEEDS MORE ATTENTION.

IT MEANS MORE DISCUSSION WITH THE COMMUNITY, UM, AND IT NEEDS MORE STUDY.

SO WE ACTUALLY, SO THAT WAS BACK IN 2022.

UM, WE WORKED ON, AND DURING 2023 TO PREPARE IT, IT KIND OF WITH HOME, HOME ONE AND TWO AND EVERYTHING ELSE KIND OF GOT PUSHED INTO THIS CYCLE.

SO WE'RE BRINGING IT HERE NOW, NOW THAT WE'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, ENOUGH OXYGEN IN THE ROOM TO, TO LOOK AT IT.

UM, SO, UM, LET'S SEE.

HOPEFULLY THIS WILL ADVANCE.

HERE WE GO.

SO HERE'S A, HERE'S A PICTURE OF THE, UH, AREA WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.

UM, IT'LL START OUT HERE AT, UM, LONGHORN DAM.

THIS WORKS.

THIS IS, YEAH, THERE WE GO.

LONGHORN DAM IS AT PLEASANT VALLEY ROAD.

UM, AND IT EXTENDS ALL THE WAY OUT TO, UH, THE TRAVIS COUNTY LINE OUT HERE.

THAT KIND OF GAP IN THE, IN THE BLUE THERE.

THAT'S THE, WHERE TRAVIS COUNTY HAS THEIR SOLE REGULATIONS.

AND THEN THE BLUE IS SHARED BETWEEN TRAVIS COUNTY AND THE, AND AUSTIN AND OUR, AND OUR, UH, EXTRATERRITORIAL JURISDICTION ETJ.

SO IT'S ABOUT A 25 MILE AREA, UM, OF RIVER, UM, STRETCH THERE.

UM, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON.

THERE'S THE DOG'S HEAD, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, PRE PROPOSED FOR, YOU KNOW, IN THE FUTURE ARE PROBABLY GONNA BE DEVELOPED AT SOME POINT.

UM, IT'S GOT HORNS BE BEEN, UH, BIOSOLIDS PLANTS OUT THERE CRANKING OUT DILL DIRT.

YOU'VE GOT SOUTH AUSTIN REGIONAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT AUSTIN'S COLONY, UH, COMMUNITY JUST OUTSIDE OF OUR CITY LIMITS THERE.

UM, AND SO THERE'S QUITE A FEW INTERESTING LAND USES THAT ARE ALONG IT.

THERE'S A FEW SINGLE FAMILY NEIGHBORHOODS SPRINKLED ALONG THE AREA.

UM, THERE ARE, UM, THERE'S LOTS AND LOTS OF, UH, BOTH ACTIVE AND KIND OF LEGACY MINING, SAND AND GRAVEL MINING OPERATIONS.

AND YOU'LL SEE IN A SECOND, IT'S A VERY NATURAL PLACE TO DO SAND AND GRAVEL MINING 'CAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH SAND IN THE AREA.

UM, AND THAT'S WHAT'S CAUSING THE EROSION, OR THE EROSION IS AS A RESULT OF THAT CONDITION.

UM, AND THERE'S QUITE A, QUITE A BIT OF LEGACY AND, UH, ONGOING AGRICULTURAL ACTIVITY AND SOME UN UP LAND OUT THERE.

SO A LOT OF THE PARCELS.

AND THEN IN ONE OF THE OLD MINES GOT REDEVELOPED TO BE THE TESLA PLANTS, ONE OF THE LARGEST LAND TRACKS IN AUSTIN.

UM, AND THEN, UM, ACTUALLY IT'S NOT IN AUSTIN, IT'S BEEN RELEASED FROM RETJ.

SO THEN WE HAVE, UH, PARKS AND OPEN SPACE OUT THERE IN THE GREENS.

WE'VE GOT ROY GUERRERO, WE GOT MORRISON RANCH.

UM, EVEN, UH, AUSTIN'S COLONY HAS A COUPLE SMALL PARKS NEXT TO THEM.

WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A SECOND.

UM, AND THEN THERE'S THOSE Q UTILITIES OF HORNSBY BEND AND, UH, SOUTH AUSTIN REGIONAL AND SO FORTH.

SO, UM, ACTUALLY WHEN WE, WE ACTUALLY WENT OUT AND TALKED WITH A, A, A PRETTY BIG GROUP OF FOLKS.

MAYBE 40, 50 PEOPLE SHOWED UP, UH, LAST MONDAY OF LAST WEEK ON THE 28TH OF OCTOBER.

UM, AND, UH, AND SOME OF THE FOLKS WERE FROM SINGLE FAMILY, KIND OF HAD A SINGLE FAMILY LOT OUT THERE, JUST LIKE A PLANTED LOT.

AND THEY SAID, HEY, HOW'S THIS GONNA AFFECT US? AND WE REALIZED, IF YOU'RE TALKING WITH LIZ HERE, THEY AREN'T GONNA BE AFFECTED BECAUSE THEY'RE IN THE ETJ.

AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN DOES NOT REGULATE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES CONSTRUCTION IN THE ETJ.

WE REGULATE SITE PLAN DEVELOPMENTS, WHICH WOULD BE MULTIFAMILY, COMMERCIAL AND SO FORTH.

AND WE ACTUALLY ALSO INTER, UH, COOPERATE, UH, TO REGULATE, UM, UH, UH, SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL SUBDIVISIONS IN THE ETJ AS WELL.

BUT THIS ORDINANCE WILL NOT AFFECT THOSE.

SO SINGLE FAMILY AND THE ETJ, BOTH SUBDIVISIONS AND, AND INDIVIDUAL HOMES ARE NOT AFFECTED.

KIND OF WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT FOR FOLKS HERE AND IN TV LAND.

SO, UM, HERE'S A FUN GEOLOGY MAP OF THE SAME STRETCH OF THE RIVER.

AND THE BIGGEST FACTOR OUT HERE IS THIS IS UNDERLAYING BY, UH, A SIGNIFICANT, UH, YOU KNOW, LAYER OF SAND.

UM, AND SO THAT IS THE SOURCE OF A TON OF, UM, EROSIVE POTENTIAL.

SO YOU CAN DEVELOP IN THIS AREA, UM, EFFECTIVELY AND SAFELY.

BUT IF YOU DON'T TAKE PRECAUTIONS, YOU RUN INTO SOME BIG TROUBLE.

SO, UM, YOU HAVE THESE HIGHLY, HIGHLY EROSIVE SOILS.

UM, AND I'M GONNA TALK MOSTLY IN THIS PROJECT, THIS PRESENTATION ABOUT THE EROSION HAZARD ZONE.

THAT'S ONE OF OUR MAIN KEY PROTECTIONS IN OUR, UM, IN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE FOR ENVIRONMENT, UH, FOR NEW DEVELOPMENT.

UM, IT WAS DESIGNED, I ACTUALLY HELPED SHEPHERD THAT ORDINANCE THROUGH BACK IN 2013.

WE WERE REALLY PROUD OF IT.

WE REALLY MOSTLY FOCUSED ON, FOCUSED ON, UH, CREEKS WITH THAT ONE.

'CAUSE WE'RE SEEING OVER AND OVER AGAIN MOST DEVELOPMENTS ALONG AUSTIN'S CREEKS.

UM, AND WHEN, WHEN WATERWAYS ARE INVOLVED.

UM, AND WE DIDN'T PAY AS MUCH ATTENTION TO THE RIVER.

AND WE WENT AHEAD AND JUST PUT ON A 100 FOOT EROSION HAZARD ZONE REVIEW BUFFER THERE ALONG THE RIVER, UH, THE SAME AS EVERYTHING ELSE.

ALL THE OTHER CREEKS HAD A HUNDRED FEET ON EACH SIDE, UH, REVIEW BUFFER.

THAT WAS GREAT.

AND IT WAS BE MUCH BETTER THAN

[00:15:01]

ZERO, WHICH WAS, UH, THERE AT THE BEGINNING.

UH, BUT WE'RE REALIZING THAT THE SCALE OF THE RIVER, IT'S HAS THESE HIGH BANKS, 50, UH, 40, 50, EVEN 60 FOOT BANKS AT PLACES.

YOU CAN SEE THE, UH, PICTURES OF THEM RIGHT THERE.

UM, AND SO WE'RE JUST GETTING A TON OF DAMAGE, UH, IN THERE.

SO THAT WAS, UM, THAT WAS THIS ARTILLERY STREET OUTFALL ALONG, UH, EAST CA CHAVEZ, UM, WHERE ARTILLERY STREET KIND OF DEAD ENDS INTO, UM, THAT TO THE RIVER.

UM, AND SO WE PAID A COUPLE OF MILLION DOLLARS TO REPAIR SOMETHING THAT PROBABLY COULD HAVE BEEN LARGELY AVOIDED, HAD THAT OUTFALL BEEN DESIGNED IN A DIFFERENT WAY.

UM, HERE'S A SAME PICTURE WE SAW EARLIER OF FALWELL LANE.

THIS HAPPENED TWICE.

IT HAPPENED IN OCTOBER, 2013.

IT HAPPENED IN OCTOBER, 2015.

IT ACTUALLY DIDN'T HAPPEN BECAUSE OF THE RIVER.

IT HAPPENED BECAUSE OF NEARBY ONION CREEK.

BUT ONION CREEK, UH, WAS GOT SW UP SO BIG IN THAT, IN THOSE TWO FLOODS THAT IT OVER, IT MOSTLY WENT IN ITS OWN COURSE, BUT ITLO OVER INTO THE RIVER NEARBY.

THEY, THEY, THEY'RE REALLY CLOSE TOGETHER IN THIS SHOT.

UM, BUT THE RIVERBANK WAS SO EROSIVE IN THIS AREA, AND THIS IS PART OF THE RIVERBANK, UM, THAT THIS ROAD, WHICH REALLY SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN PROBABLY PLACED THERE, WE, YOU KNOW, 2020 HINDSIGHT.

BUT WE'VE GOT THIS PUBLIC ROAD THAT'S, UM, REALLY CRITICAL AND THAT WE NEED TO HAVE IT WORK.

IT, IT SERVES TWO CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITIES, UH, OF THE ELECTRIC.

UM, THE SANDHILL ELECTRIC CENTER IS THERE.

IT'S A POWER PLANT.

UM, AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE, UH, HALF OF AUSTIN'S WASTEWATER GOES TO THE SOUTH AUSTIN REGIONAL WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT.

AND SO WE HAD TO HELICOPTER IN SOME OF OUR STAFF FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME AFTER THAT DUR AFTER THE FLOOD DAMAGE.

UM, AND SO WE NEED THIS ROAD TO BE STABLE AND TO WORK, UH, WELL, SO WE'LL PAY UPWARDS OF $11 MILLION OR MORE, UH, TO STABILIZE THIS, THIS REACH.

IT WOULD'VE BEEN PREFERABLE, OF COURSE, TO HAVE LOCATED THAT, THAT ROAD IN A DIFFERENT PLACE WHEN, YOU KNOW, BACK IN THE DAY, DECADES AGO WHEN IT WAS ALL PUT IN, THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE ANYMORE.

WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO PROTECT IT.

SO WE NEED TO SPEND THAT MONEY.

UM, BUT THIS, THIS EROSION HAZARD ZONE ORDINANCE THAT WE'RE GONNA PROPOSE IS GOING TO PREVENT NEW ROADWAYS FROM BEING PLACED THAT CLOSE TO THE RIVER.

UM, WE'RE ALSO HAVING, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU SAW THAT THERE WAS A SMALL NUMBER OF SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL HOMES THAT WERE AFFECTED BY THIS ORDINANCE.

UM, THE, THE YELLOW IN THAT MAP, UM, ONE OF THEM WAS ACTUALLY PRETTY DIRECTLY THREATENED IN THE 2015 MEMORIAL DAY FLOOD TO THE GREAT CHAGRIN AND ALARM OF THE FOLKS THERE.

20 FEET OF THEIR BACKYARD JUST SLID OFF INTO THE RIVER IN AT ONE, UH, THAT ONE DAY OF FLOODING.

UM, THEY APPROACHED US.

THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION, ACTUALLY WENT TO COUNCIL.

ULTIMATELY THEY DECIDED TO PULL BACK AND GO AHEAD AND JUST KIND OF STAY THE COURSE AND CONTINUE TO OWN THE PROPERTY.

WE ALSO BOUGHT THEM OUT.

SO WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE SO CLOSE IN SUCH DANGEROUS SPOTS THAT THE CITY WOULD NEED TO POTENTIALLY BUY SOMEBODY OUT OR THEY WOULD NEED.

I MEAN, IT'S REALLY, IT'S REALLY VERY DIFFICULT TO STABILIZE SOMETHING THAT CLOSE TO THE RIVER.

AND WITH SUCH, UM, SUCH EROSIVE CONDITIONS AND SUCH HIGH BANKS, THEY'RE NOT GONNA JUST PAY $12 MILLION PROBABLY FOR WHICH WOULD BE WHAT THE KIND OF SOLUTION THEY NEED.

ALRIGHT, UM, THIS IS ANOTHER NEARBY A LOT OF YOU GUYS MAY HAVE USED THE, THE, THE WALNUT CREEK, UM, HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL.

IT'S THIS, THIS PORTION OF THE TRAIL CONFUSINGLY IS ACTUALLY IN BOGGY CREEK, AND THAT IS BOGGY CREEK RUNNING ALONG BELOW IT.

BUT IT'S AN ANCIENT PORTION, AN ANCIENT RIVER BED, COLORADO RIVER OVER THE EONS.

IT'S JUST KIND OF MOVED AROUND.

OF COURSE, IT'S A BIG RIVER.

UM, AND SO IT USED TO, USED, THIS USED TO BE THE RIVER, SO IT HAS THE SAME BANK HEIGHTS, SAME SOIL, SAME SAND, EVERYTHING.

AND SO, UM, VERY UNFORTUNATELY, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS REALLY THE ONLY PLACE THAT THAT TRAIL COULD GO AND THAT ALIGNMENT.

AND SO WE PUT IT IN CITY.

UM, IT'S RIGHT NEXT TO, UM, US 180 3 THERE.

UM, WITH, UM, THE, UH, EROSIVE CONDITIONS, WE REALIZED THAT IT WAS WITH SOME BIG RAINS, IT WAS STARTING TO GET THREATENED AS WELL.

SO WE CAME IN, UM, AND INVESTED IN A SOLUTION THAT WAS, YOU CAN SEE PRETTY IMPRESSIVE AND PRETTY EXPENSIVE.

UM, AND SO WE HAVE NOW PROTECTED THAT THERE'S THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAILS AT THE TOP OF THAT.

IT ALSO PROTECTS THE, THE FOOT, THE FOOTINGS OF THAT, UM, HIGHWAY THERE TOO.

UM, HONESTLY, THE HIGHWAY IS PROBABLY GONNA BE IN OKAY SHAPE.

THEY GO WAY DOWN INTO THE SHALE AND WHATNOT AND ROCK UNDERNEATH, BUT YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE A LOT OF EROSION AROUND THAT EITHER.

SO THAT'S JUST, UM, SOMETHING WE WANT TO HAVE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THE RISK, UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE GETTING INTO WHEN THEY, THEY THEY, UM, DEVELOP IN THIS AREA.

SO HERE WE'VE, WE'VE GOT, UM, ROY GUERRERA PARK ACTUALLY LIVE RELATIVELY CLOSE TO RORA PARK.

I REMEMBER USING THIS BRIDGE.

IT IS THE SECOND PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE THEY HAD BUILT THAT THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT BUILT.

THE FIRST ONE WASHED OUT, THEY PUT THIS ONE BACK, AND THEN IT WASHED OUT, UM, IN 2010, UH, WITH OUR TROPICAL STORM HERMINE CAME THROUGH AND JUST COMPLETELY OBLITERATED THE, THE, AND THEN YOU CAN SEE HOW MUCH EROSION AND WHATNOT IS GOING ON IN THIS.

THIS IS A RUNAWAY FREIGHT TRAIN.

IT'S A, UH, LONG AGO, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL BOARD AT THE TIME PRESENTATION BY MY COLLEAGUE JANET JAN RENFRO CAME AND SPOKE.

WE COULD PROBABLY DIG UP THAT VIDEO IN THE PAST TO, TO WATCH

[00:20:01]

IT.

IT'S REALLY INTERESTING.

AN A LATE 1970S DEVELOPMENT REDIRECTED A VERY LARGE PORTION OF WHAT WAS THEN COUNTRY CLUB CREEK AND CREATED WEST COUNTRY CLUB CREEK AND EAST COUNTRY CLUB CREEK AS A RESULT.

UM, AND THEY REALIZED, DIDN'T REALIZE WHAT A RUNAWAY FREIGHT TRAIN THAT SORT OF EROSION WAS GONNA BE IN THIS SAND.

UM, AND THEY CREATED THIS KIND OF MONSTROUS SITUATION.

SO NOW WE ARE, UH, 20 SOMETHING MILLION DOLLARS LATER, WE ARE ATTEMPTING, AND WE ARE, UM, UH, FIXING THIS PROBLEM.

YOU SAW IT IN THE VIDEO.

THAT WAS THE VERY LARGE PROJECT THAT THEY WERE FLYING OVER.

THE, THIS IS AN EARLIER PICTURE.

THE ONE IN THE VIDEO SHOWS IT MORE RECENTLY, UM, BEING CONSTRUCTED.

WE'RE VERY PRO PROUD OF THIS PROJECT.

IT'S GOING TO HELP PREVENT, UH, THAT RUNAWAY EROSION FROM CONTINUING.

UM, BUT WE CAN DO BETTER, UH, IN THE FUTURE AND PREVENT THIS SORT OF EROSION.

UM, YOU ALSO SAW EARLIER PICTURES OF THIS.

THIS IS AUSTIN'S COLONY.

UM, THIS IS A VERY LARGE CANYON, UM, THAT ACTUALLY DID NOT USED TO EXIST AT ALL.

IT, THERE WAS, THIS WAS JUST LEVEL, GROUND, EVERYTHING USED.

SEE, THERE'S SUB THIS, A CANYON USED TO BE JUST A MEADOW, UM, OR, YOU KNOW, JUST NEXT TO THE, UM, NEXT TO THE RIVER.

AND SO THE, UH, ORIGINAL GROUND LEVEL THERE IS, UM, PRETTY OBVIOUS.

AND THEN YOU'VE GOT THIS, UH, APPROXIMATELY 25 FOOT CANYON AND GROWING.

UM, AND SO YOU CAN SEE THE PIPE THERE.

THAT WAS THE SOURCE OF THE, UH, ENERGY, UH, THAT ULTIMATELY KIND OF UNRAVELED THIS AREA.

JUST BECAME THIS BIG NICK CUT THAT CUT ITS WAY UP FROM THE RIVER ALL THE WAY UP TO THE PIPE AND STARTED DESTROYING THE PIPE ITSELF.

UM, WE CAN DO BETTER.

IN FACT, THIS, UH, ACTUALLY THIS REAL QUICK, THIS IS NOT NEW.

WE HAVE THESE ALL OVER THE PLACE.

UM, AND WE CAN DO A LOT BETTER JOB IN THE CONSTRUCTION DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION OF THESE OUTFALLS ALL OVER TOWN.

UM, BUT ESPECIALLY IN THESE NUMBER OF, UH, CONDITIONS.

UM, SO, AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.

THAT'LL BE A CRITERIA MANUAL CHANGE.

SO HERE WE ARE.

UM, UH, SO THE SECOND THING THAT THE COUNCIL ASKED US TO LOOK AT WAS THE WATER CRITICAL WATER QUALITY, UM, UH, UH, ZONES THAT WE USED TO PROTECT OUR, OUR CREEKS AND, AND WATERWAYS RIVER, THE, THE LAKES CREEKS, AND NOW THE RIVER.

AND SO, UM, THIS, UH, THIS AREA HAS CHANGED A LOT, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, UH, SINCE THE EARLY DAYS.

UH, THIS SHOWS THAT OUR EARLIEST, UH, AERIAL PHOTO THAT WE HAVE EASY ACCESS TO, THIS IS A 1940 AERIAL SHOWS.

IT JUST BASICALLY FARMLAND AT THAT POINT OUT, OUTSTANDING FARMLAND.

THE SANDY SOIL'S CRAZY GREAT FOR GROWING, GROWING CROPS.

UM, IT USED TO PROBABLY BE A BOTTOMLAND FOREST, BUT IT'S BEEN TRANSFORMED.

UM, AND IT'S NOW, AND THEN NOW WITH LOTS OF GRAVEL MINING AND NOW URBANIZATION IN THE AREA.

AND SO, UM, WE, UH, WE ARE EXTREMELY BIG FANS IN WATERSHED PROTECTION OF THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE BUFFER SYSTEM.

WE, IT'S ONE OF THE CORE, UH, YOU KNOW, I KIND OF TALK ABOUT THE BIG THREE OF CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE OR THE, THE, THE CREEK BUFFERS.

OUR, UM, OUR STRUCTURAL ENGINEERED STRUCTURAL CONTROLS LIKE SAND FILTERS AND DETENTION PONDS.

AND THEN, UM, AND PURVIEW COVER LIMITS.

THOSE ARE KIND OF THE BIG THREE PROTECTIONS.

THERE'S OTHER CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURE PROTECTIONS AND SO FORTH IN ADDITION.

BUT THOSE ARE KIND OF THE, THE BIG THREE OF OUR STOOL THERE.

IN A RIVER, IT'S NOT, IT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO GET THE BUFFER RIGHT, BUT MOST OF THE WATER IS NOT CLEANED ALONG THE RIVER BY THE BUFFER.

IT'S, IT'S REALLY ARE WE, DO WE HAVE CLEAN WATER FROM UPSTREAM, FROM THE MANSFIELD DAM RELEASES AND SO FORTH.

SO, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THOSE BUFFERS, RIGHT? BUT IN THE END, WE'RE, YOU'RE GONNA SEE, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE ACTUALLY NOT GOING TO RECOMMEND CHANGING THOSE.

WE DID.

LOOK, WE TOOK A REALLY HARD LOOK AT IT.

IT TURNS OUT THAT ACTUALLY, UM, SO WE, WE HAD OUR ORIGINAL BUFFERS IN THE AREA WERE CREATED IN 1986 WITH THE, THE, WITH THE, UH, COMPREHENSIVE WATERSHED ORDINANCE.

UM, THE, THE STRUCTURE OF THAT ORDINANCE, UH, WAS FLAWED, UM, AND TURNED OUT TO NOT, UH, PROTECT ALL PROPERTIES.

YOU SAW IN THE, IN THE VIDEO, THERE WAS ONE COMMUNITY THAT WAS SUPER CLOSE TO THE RIVER, AND THERE WAS JUST THIS KIND OF LOOPHOLE WHERE YOU WOULD MEASURE THE CRITICAL ZONE BUFFER FROM THE MIDDLE OF THE RIVER, KIND OF LIKE THE MIDDLE OF A CREEK OUT 200 FEET AT LEAST, AND THEN UP TO 400.

WELL, PART, A BIG PART OF THAT BUFFER WAS IN THE WATER.

WELL, THAT'S NOT A VERY EFFECTIVE BUFFER.

SO WE, WE DECIDED, WE CHANGED IT IN 2008 TO MEASURE IT FROM THE BANK.

SO THAT'S FROM WHAT WE CALL THE ORDINARY HIGH WATERMARK.

SO IT'S REALLY THE EDGE OF THE RIVER.

SO NOW WE HAVE 200 FOOT PROTECTIONS, UH, AT LEAST.

AND IF YOU HAVE A FLOODPLAIN, IT CONTINUES ON OUT TO UP TO 400 FEET.

THAT'S KIND OF THE WAY IT WORKS RIGHT NOW.

SO, UM, WITH, IN 2013, WE MADE THAT CHANGE.

AND SO, UM, WE TOOK A LOOK AT, UH, CHANGING THAT BUFFER AND MAKING IT A FIXED WIDTH, 400 FOOT BUFFER.

SO, AND YOU KNOW, I'LL SHOW YOU SOME PICTURES IN A LITTLE BIT.

SO INSTEAD OF 200 TO 400, LET'S JUST, HEY, LET'S JUST MAX IT OUT AND GO 400, JUST LIKE OUR PARTNERS TRAVIS COUNTY DO OUT IN THE, IN THE HENRY LANDS.

WELL, IT TURNS OUT THAT TRAVIS COUNTY IS MOSTLY IN THE FLOOD PLAIN ALREADY.

SO THEY WOULD'VE HAD A 400 FOOT BUFFER IF THEY'D BEEN, HAD, HAD OUR 200 OR 400

[00:25:01]

SYSTEM.

UM, AND MOST OF THE AREA, UH, THAT IS AFFECTED IS, UM, UH, AT LEAST IN THE, THE NARROWER PART IS ALREADY DEVELOPED.

SO, SO IT'S NOT AS, UM, RELEVANT.

UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT WHEN WE GET TO THAT SECTION.

ALRIGHT, SO THAT'S KINDA THE BACKGROUND.

UM, I WILL DIVE INTO THE ORDINANCE ITSELF.

UM, SO THERE'S ACTUALLY, THERE'S AN ORDINANCE NUMBER ONE, THERE'S A CRITERIA MANUAL CHANGE NUMBER TWO, AND THERE IS A THIRD ELEMENT, WHICH WOULD'VE BEEN AN ORDINANCE, BUT WE'RE NOT RECOMMENDING IT MOVE FORWARD.

THAT'S THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE.

THE GOOD NEWS IS WE THINK THAT'S IN GOOD SHAPE.

NOW.

WE KEEP ADVANCING THIS.

IT'S DOING PRETTY GOOD.

OKAY, SO HERE, HERE'S THE, UM, SO THE FIRST CHANGE IS WE ARE GONNA RECOMMEND THAT THE, THE EXISTING 100 FOOT EROSION HAZARD ZONE MEASURED FROM THE EDGE OF THE BANK BE EXPANDED FROM 100 FEET TO 200 FEET.

UM, AND SO HERE, HERE IT IS, WE'RE LIKE YOU TO EXPAND IT.

I, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT ANYBODY WATCHING THIS KNOWS THAT IF YOU HAVE AN EXISTING HOUSE NOT AFFECTED, IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING EXISTING, NOT AFFECTED, IF YOU'RE IN THE ETJ AND YOU'RE A SINGLE FAMILY SUBDIVISION OR, UM, ELSE, OTHERWISE, UH, ALSO NOT AFFECTED BY THIS CHANGE, IT WOULD, IT WOULD, UH, NOT NOT AFFECT YOU.

UM, I'M, I'M GONNA GO THROUGH A SERIES OF CARTOONS THAT ARE A LOT MORE, UM, UH, DIGESTIBLE THAN ALL THESE BULLETS I PUT IN.

BUT, UH, THESE, THESE ARE KIND OF IMPORTANT.

SO I'LL TRY TO, I'LL TRY TO BLAST THROUGH 'EM.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO GO FROM 100 TO 200.

UM, WE'RE REALLY, WE'RE REALLY WANTING TO FOCUS ON THE MOST IMPORTANT STUFF, HABITABLE STRUCTURES.

WE DON'T WANT SOMEBODY WHO'S LIVING IN A STRUCTURE OUT THERE, UH, WHETHER IT'S COMMERCIAL OR, OR, OR, OR RESIDENTIAL OR WHAT HAVE YOU.

UH, WE, WE WANT THAT TO BE THE FOCUS OF THIS AND INFRASTRUCTURE.

YOU SAW THOSE PIPES AND THE ROADWAYS THREATENED.

WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT STUFF IS, IS SAFE.

AND WE'RE, WE'RE NOT AS WORRIED ABOUT DECKS.

WE'RE NOT AS WORRIED ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, PATIOS, THINGS LIKE THAT.

'CAUSE SOME FOLKS LIVE OUT THERE.

AND I WOULD RATHER NOT, UH, HAVE THAT BE THE FOCUS OF THIS.

UM, WE ALSO, INITIALLY WE'RE GONNA INCLUDE HARD SURFACE TRAILS IN THIS.

WE DON'T, YOU SAW THE TRAIL NEXT TO THAT BOG, THE BOGGY CREEK SLASH UH, WALNUT CREEK TRAIL.

WELL, UM, FOLKS LIKE TO BE NEAR WATER.

THEY LIKE TO BE KIND OF NEAR THE ACTION.

AND SO IF WE ACTUALLY MAKE THIS TRAIL PUSH ALL THE WAY TO 200 FEET BACK, WE'RE GONNA GET A LOT OF FOLKS MAKING INFORMAL TRAILS OR WE, WHAT HAVE YOU.

AND SO, UM, THIS IS NOT OCCUPIED SPACE.

IT'S NOT, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF IN THE PATIO REALM.

NOT REALLY.

I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S A MORE, MORE SIGNIFICANT IN SCALE.

BUT WE'RE, WE AGREED WITH OUR TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS AND PARKS FRIENDS, AND ALSO WITH SOME, SOME OF THE PRIVATE DEVELOPERS.

WE'RE CONSIDERING A PUBLIC TRAIL SYSTEM OUT THERE.

IT'S OKAY.

LET'S YOU GUYS GO AHEAD AND PUT IT A HUNDRED FEET BACK AT LEAST AND, YOU KNOW, MAY STAY THE COURSE, UH, DO WHAT YOU'RE ALREADY DOING.

UM, LET'S SEE.

AND THEN, UM, SO IT'S, THIS IS A LOT OF JUST DETAIL FOR FOLKS OUT IN THAT ARE FOLLOWING ALONG WITH US.

UM, SO IT, AND IT DOESN'T AFFECT EXISTING ANYTHING.

UM, IT'S NOT APPLIED IN THE SINGLE FAMILY IN THE ETJ.

UM, IT IS THE, ONE OF THE MAIN EFFECTS IT'S GONNA HAVE WOULD BE IF IT GOES THROUGH, WOULD BE ON ANYBODY THAT'S TRYING, YOU KNOW, YOU ALREADY HAVE THE A HUNDRED FOOT THING, THE SET, UH, THE UH, UH, REVIEW BUFFER.

UM, IF YOU WERE GONNA PUT IN SOMETHING FROM 100 TO 200 IN THE FUTURE OUT THERE, AND WE'LL SHOW YOU SOME EXAMPLES, UM, YOU WOULD NEED TO EXAMINE THIS, PROBABLY GO GET A STRUCTURAL ENGINEER AND LOOK AT WHAT KIND OF FOOTINGS YOU WOULD NEED TO BEEF UP YOUR, YOUR STRUCTURE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE, YOUR, YOU WOULDN'T GET WASHED AWAY IN A, IN A, IN A CATASTROPHIC, UM, LOSS OF, OF SOIL OUT THERE.

UM, SO THAT'S PROBABLY THE MAJOR IMPACT IS GONNA BE ON EXISTING THE SMALL NUMBER OF, OF, BUT NON-ZERO NUMBER OF EXISTING SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCES ON, ON ANY NEW BRAND NEW CONSTRUCTION THEY MIGHT, UH, WANNA PUT IN.

UM, IT COULD HAVE.

UM, SO ONE OF THE KEY THINGS I KEEP TALKING ABOUT THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE, IT'S, IT'S ALREADY 200 TO 400 FEET WIDE.

WELL, HEY, IF WE EXP EXTEND THE EROSION HAZARD ZONE FROM 100 TO 200, IT'S NO GREATER THAN THE CRITICAL ZONE ALREADY IS.

SO, UM, AND I'LL SHOW YOU A PICTURE OF THAT IN A SECOND, BUT THAT'S A REALLY KEY.

AND WE, THAT'S NO ACCIDENT.

WE THOUGHT THAT THAT WAS A GOOD TO HAVE THOSE COINCIDE THAT LOWERS THE IMPACT, THE NEGATIVE IMPACT ON, ON NEW DEVELOPMENT OUT THERE, EVEN AS IT HELPS PROTECT WITHIN THAT 200 FOOT AREA.

UM, AND THEN THE CRITERIA MANUAL CHANGE, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UH, POTENTIALLY COULD, UM, UH, IT WILL INCREASE COSTS, UH, SOME A LITTLE BIT FOR, UM, INFRASTRUCTURE BEING PUT IN.

WELL, THAT'S A SEPARATE TOPIC.

ALRIGHT, SO HERE'S, HERE ARE THE CARTOONS.

UH, THESE ARE A LITTLE CHEESY, BUT THEY, I THINK THEY, THEY KIND OF ILLUSTRATE WHAT'S GOING ON.

SO WE HAVE A HUNDRED FOOT REVIEW BUFFER AT PRESENT.

WE CALL IT A REVIEW BUFFER.

'CAUSE THIS IS STEP ONE OF TWO.

EVERYBODY THINKS OF THIS.

OH, A HUNDRED FOOT BUFFER.

OKAY, WELL, THERE'S A SECOND COMPONENT, WHICH IS THIS KIND OF, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S SORT OF THE, UM, I'M LOOKING AT DAVE HERE.

THAT'S SORT OF THE X AXIS.

AND THIS IS THE Y AXIS HERE.

UM, AND SO, UH, YOU NEED A, THE, ARE YOU IN BOTH? ARE YOU BOTH WITHIN A HUNDRED

[00:30:01]

FEET AND WITHIN THAT FOUR TO ONE SLOPE? UM, AND, AND SO, UH, THERE'S A FEW CASES WHERE YOU MIGHT NOT BE IN BOTH OF THOSE.

AND SO WE'RE THINKING OF, WE'RE SAYING THIS IS TOO STEEP.

UH, TWO, UH, TWO HAZARDOUS.

WE WOULD LIKE TO, UH, EXPAND THIS TO 200 FEET INSTEAD OF 100 FEET ALONG THIS MUCH LARGER RIVER AREA.

IT IS, NO, IT IS, UM, IT'S, IT, IT WARRANTS IT IN OUR OPINION.

SO, UM, UH, THERE'S MORE DETAIL.

I CAN ALWAYS GO BACK TO THESE SLIDES.

IF YOU WANT TO GET INTO SOME OF THE, I I PUT EXTRA STUFF IN THERE THAT YOU CAN READ IN YOUR PACKET, UM, OR ONLINE.

UH, ALL THIS, ALL THE MATERIALS ARE ONLINE.

UM, SO, UH, SUBSURFACE, IF YOU HAVE A, A PIPE GOING UNDER THE RIVER LIKE AUSTIN WATER OR RECENTLY, UH, THERE WAS A PRIVATE PIPE THAT WENT UNDER AND LOOKED.

AND SO YOU'D HAVE TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE DEEP ENOUGH THAT THE RIVER'S NOT GONNA DOWN CUT AND COMPROMISE THAT PIPE AND CAUSE PROBLEMS FOR THE RIVER OR THE PIPE.

UM, SO THERE'S THE BUFFER.

UH, YOU MIGHT ACTUALLY HAVE A ROADWAY THERE.

REMEMBER FALWELL LANE.

UM, AND THERE'S ANOTHER ROAD CALLED OTTS LANE THAT'S OUT THERE THAT'S, UH, A LOT OF HOUSES RUN ALONG.

WELL, WE ARE GONNA PROTECT THOSE ROADS LIKE WE DID FALWELL LANE.

AND SO IF SOMEBODY'S BEHIND THE ROAD, WE'RE NOT GONNA ASK THAT THEY, UM, THAT THEY HAVE AN EROSION HAZARD ZONE ON THEIR PROPERTY.

'CAUSE IT WOULD KIND OF NOT BE RELEVANT AT THAT POINT.

SO WE WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT THERE'S A, A NUMBER OF PROPERTIES THAT ARE AFFECTED BY THAT THAT WOULD HELP THEM.

OKAY? THAT'S THE EROSION HAZARD ZONE.

AND SO, UM, WE DON'T HAVE A DRAFT ORDINANCE TO SHARE WITH YOU, BUT IT'S GONNA BE EXTREMELY SHORT.

IT'S BASICALLY GONNA SAY, STRIKE OUT THE NUMBER TWO 100 AND ADD 200 AND CLARIFY SOMETHING ABOUT THOSE TRAILS.

UM, WE ALSO MIGHT DO SOME CLEANUP ON THIS GENERALLY TO MAKE SURE CITYWIDE WHAT, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE HANDLING THIS, UH, FOR SHEDS AND FENCES AND SO FORTH.

'CAUSE AGAIN, WE WANNA FOCUS ON THE BIG, BIG THE BIG STUFF.

SO THE SECOND TOPIC IS, UM, UH, AND WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO THE END.

DON'T NO PANIC.

SO I KNOW I TALK A TALK A LONG TIME.

UM, SO THE NEXT, NEXT TOPIC IS THESE IS THE CRITERIA, MANUAL CHANGES WE'RE GONNA RECOMMEND.

AND SO WE'RE GETTING, YOU SAW THOSE CANYONS LIKE IN AUSTIN'S COLONY, SUPER CHEESY GRAPHIC, BUT YOU GET THE IDEA WE'RE WE'RE GETTING LOTS OF, UH, AND SO IF YOU CAN, IF YOU CAN BEEF THAT UP AND USE, UH, ENGINEERING, GOOD ENGINEERING PRACTICES, WE CAN PREVENT THOSE PROBLEMS FROM HAPPENING IN THE FIRST PLACE.

IT'S DEFINITELY A, A, YOU KNOW, UM, UH, UH, UH, OUNCE OF PREVENTION PREVENTS A POUND OF CURE KIND OF SCENE.

SO HERE WE ARE ON TILLERY LANE.

AGAIN, 40 FOOT DROP IN THE, IN THE, IN THE.

AND SO YOU GOT THIS PIPE COMING OUT.

IT'S BASICALLY CREATING ITS OWN DOOM, UH, BECAUSE IT WAS NOT BUILT, UH, TO WITHSTAND THESE EROSIVE FORCES.

AND SO WE WENT IN AND WE ACTUALLY, UH, CORRECTED IT.

AND, UH, YOU CAN SEE THAT SECOND PICTURE WITH THE GREEN SLOPE THERE, THAT IS STABILIZED.

THAT IS THE, AND AND INSIDE OF THAT IS THIS PIPE, UM, WHICH, UH, TAKES THE WATER, WHICH WAS ALREADY COMING THROUGH THE SYSTEM.

AND INSTEAD OF SHOOTING OFF INTO THE WATER DOWN BELOW AND, AND, AND WIPING OUT THE BANK, IT WOULD BE PROTECTED WITHIN ALL THAT, ALL THAT EROSIVE ENERGY IS, IS CONTAINED WITHIN THE STRUCTURE.

IN SOME CASES.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO DROP IT DOWN LIKE THAT.

AND YOU JUST HAVE TO PROVIDE THAT ARMORING DOWNSTREAM.

AND YOU'LL SEE A PICTURE HERE NEXT.

UM, AND I REMEMBER THIS, WE TALKED ABOUT AUSTIN'S COLONY.

SO THEY HAD THESE TWO, UM, RATHER, UH, MENACING, UH, PIPES COMING IN WITH THE, WITH THE, UH, WITH THE WATER ERODING BELOW, BUT NEXT DOOR IN THEIR SAME PROJECT IN PHASE FOUR OF WHATEVER MANY PHASES.

THEY, THAT WAS PHASE TWO, THE FIRST ONE.

UM, AND THIS SUBSEQUENT PHASE JUST A FEW YEARS LATER, THEY BUILT THIS.

AND THEY ACTUALLY PUT IN THIS, THIS CONCRETE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IS THIS BEST PRACTICE TODAY, 2024? NO, WE'D PROBABLY USE DIFFERENT MATERIALS, PROBABLY USE NATURAL ROCK, UM, IN LIMESTONE AND SO FORTH.

BUT THIS IS WORKING AND THE WATER'S GOING THROUGH.

AND INSTEAD OF CREATING A CANYON, THERE'S LIZ JOHNSON, OUR ENVIRONMENTAL OFFICER, UM, STANDING IN FRONT OF THE RIVER AND FOR SCALE.

AND SO HERE'S THIS, HERE'S THIS, UM, WATER CASCADING DOWN THIS GABON BASKET STRUCTURE.

AGAIN, NOT BEST PRACTICE, BUT IT IS WORKING AND CREATING, PREVENTING THAT EROSION CANYON FROM HAPPENING.

SO WHEN WE TALK TO THE ENGINEERS ABOUT THIS, THEY GENERALLY NOD THEIR HEADS AND RECOGNIZE THAT IT'S GONNA COST A LITTLE MORE MONEY TO DO, BUT HEY, A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE ALREADY DOING IT AND IT'S NOT, NOT A BRAND NEW PRACTICE.

AND SO WE THINK THAT'S REALLY COMMON SENSE TO, TO ASK THE PEOPLE IN THIS, THIS TYPE OF AREA, DO THOSE THINGS.

SO LAST, UM, LAST THING WE LOOKED AT WAS THE 400 FOOT FIXED BUFFER.

UM, OOPS.

UM, IF WE, IF WE EXPAND IT TO, UH, 400 FEET ON BOTH SIDES, UM, REALLY IT'S KIND OF ACTUALLY GEOGRAPHIC COMMON SENSE.

SO YOU'VE GOT, UH, SO THE BUFFER IS 205 FEET WIDE.

THIS IS THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE BUFFER.

IT'S ALWAYS AT LEAST 200 FEET WIDE.

IT EXPANDS OUT TO 400 FEET.

YOU CAN SEE THAT KIND OF, IT'S NOT A VERY UNIFORM LOOKING POLYGON ALONG THE RIVER.

IT KIND OF, IT'S KIND OF JAGGEDY.

AND THAT'S BECAUSE THE, THE WHERE THERE'S A FLOODPLAIN, IT, IT, IT, IT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF GOES OUT FURTHER UP TO 400 FEET WIDE.

GREAT SYSTEM.

IT'S WORKING WELL.

IF WE PUT IN,

[00:35:01]

IF, IF THERE, IF YOU'RE IN A FLOODPLAIN, THAT MEANS YOU'RE IN THE LOW GROUND.

IF YOU'RE IN A, IF YOU'RE ON A HIGH BLUFF, WELL IT'S NOT, YOU'RE GONNA GET THE 200 FOOT VERSION 'CAUSE IT MIGHT ACTUALLY GO UP ONTO THE HIGH BLUFF AND A LITTLE FURTHER.

BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO GO ALL THE WAY TO THE 400 BECAUSE THEY DON'T, YOU DON'T HAVE A FLOODPLAIN WAY UP ON A HIGH BLUFF.

IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, THE LAY OF THE LAND, HOW IT WORKS.

SO WE ACTUALLY GET QUITE A FEW FOLKS ARE AFFECTED BY THAT RED BUFFER.

UM, AND IN, IN, IN OUR VIEW, IT'S NOT RECOMMENDED.

WE DON'T THINK THAT THE ENVIRONMENTAL GOOD OF DOING THAT IS VERY HIGH, UM, IN, IN, IN PROPORTION TO, UH, THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE PAIN THAT WOULD BE IN, UH, FOR THE FOLKS THAT ARE, UH, ALREADY THERE AND, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY GONNA, UH, DEVELOP LAND ALONG THE, ALONG THE RIVER.

UM, SO I'M, I'M DONE WITH ALL THE DETAIL.

I'M JUST GOING TO WRAP IT AND GIVE YOU A SCHEDULE.

WE ARE RECOMMENDING THE 200 FOOT EROSION HAZARD ZONE REVIEW BUFFER.

UH, WE THINK IT GIVES FOLKS A MUCH MORE BETTER REPRESENTATION OF WHAT'S GOING ON OUT THERE, THE LEVEL OF RISK.

UM, MOST PROPERTIES, UM, ARE NOT INFECTED BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL.

UM, IF YOUR COMMERCIAL, IF YOU HAVE A SITE PLAN, IF YOU HAVE A SUBDIVISION, YOU'RE ALREADY RESPECTING THAT 200 FOOT CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE, AND YOU WOULD NOT, THE NEW 200 FOOT, UH, EROSION HAZARD ZONE WOULD NOT AFFECT YOUR PROPERTY.

UM, IT WOULD'VE AFFECTED TRAILS, BUT WE ALLOWED IT THOSE TO, TO, UH, STICK WITH 100.

UM, AND THEN WE'RE ALSO RECOMMENDING, OF COURSE, THIS ANTI CANYON, UH, PROVISION, UM, WITH THOSE, UH, THOSE ARMORED, UM, OUTFALLS AND, UH, WE ARE NOT RECOMMENDING THEIR CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE EXPANSION.

UM, UH, WE THINK IT'S GONNA HAVE A KIND OF A DISPROPORTIONATELY HIGH IMPACT ON A, A FAIR NUMBER OF PROPERTIES.

AND THE, AND THE AREAS, THESE HIGH BANKS WHERE IT IS, WHERE THAT WE'RE PROTECTING ARE NOT REPAIRING AREAS.

THEY'RE KIND OF ELEVATED UP ABOVE THE RIVER, UM, AND NOT AS IN NEED OF PROTECTION.

UH, AND, AND NOT AS USEFUL, UH, FOR, FOR THIS, UH, THIS, THIS WATERSHED PROTECTION TOOL.

THE, THE BUFFERS, UM, MOST OF THE WATER'S COMING FROM UPSTREAM, NOT NOT THROUGH THE BUFFER TO, SO IN TERMS OF WATER PROTECTION.

SO HERE WE ARE, UM, YOU'LL SEE NOVEMBER 6TH IS ON HERE.

THAT'S WHERE WE ARE NOW, OF COURSE, ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION.

UM, WE GOT THE WORD, UH, ACTUALLY TODAY THAT WE ARE OFFICIALLY BEING POSTPONED.

SO PEOPLE OUT THERE IN TV LAND, YOU MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN A LETTER THAT SAYS, HEY, COME ON DOWN NOVEMBER 12TH TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

WELL, THAT'S GONNA BE POSTPONED IT.

UM, I DIDN'T HAVE A TIME TO DO THIS, BUT IT WILL BE ON DECEMBER 10TH IF YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, READING ALONG HERE.

UM, IT'LL BE DECEMBER 10TH.

UM, AND THEN PROBABLY LATE JANUARY WILL BE THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING.

SO WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS RECOGNIZED THAT THIS IS BEING, UM, PUSHED BACK A LITTLE BIT.

UM, AND THEN, AND THEN SOMETIME EARLY NEXT YEAR, WE'LL WORK ON THE CRITERIA MANUALS, AND THAT'LL BE A, THERE'S, THERE'S PUBLIC INPUT, UH, IS, IS ALSO A PART PART OF THAT PROCESS.

SO HERE WE ARE AT THE DISCUSSION PHASE.

I'M GLAD TO TAKE QUESTIONS AND I'M GLAD ALSO TO GO BACKWARD AND GO TO ANY OF THE PHOTOS OR THE SLIDES, UH, IF YOU LIKE.

SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE.

I KNOW THAT WAS A LOT OF A LONG PRESENTATION.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AND WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY, UM, PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.

ELIZABETH ON WATERSHED, I BELIEVE WE HAVE ONE PERSON CALLING IN.

IS THAT CORRECT? JACKSON.

OH, OKAY.

WELL, HE DID NOT COME AND NEVERMIND.

UH, LET'S GO AHEAD AND OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS.

VICE CHAIR COFER, UM, COMMISSIONER SHERA.

OH, HOLD ON.

SORRY, I CHANGED MY MIND.

, OH, SORRY.

UM, I JUST OBVIOUSLY TRAILS.

YAY.

UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF SOFT SURFACE TRAILS THROUGH GOTO PARK.

ARE THOSE IMPACTED AT ALL BY THIS? I KNOW YOU MENTIONED THIS.

TERRIFIC QUESTION.

I SHOULD HAVE SAID SOMETHING ABOUT THAT.

THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.

UM, SOFT, SOFT TRAILS ARE NOT, ARE NOT, UM, ARE NOT, NOT REGULATED, I BELIEVE SOMETHING GREATER THAN WHAT, 10 FEET OR, OR OR SIX FEET? UH, SIX FEET, YEAH.

SO IF YOU'RE GREATER THAN SIX FEET, IT'S CONSIDERED A HARD SURFACE TRAIL.

BUT SOMETHING LIKE A NATURE TRAIL THAT'S LESS THAN SIX FEET OR UNDER OR WOULD NOT, OR YOU KNOW, FIVE FOOT 11 OR WHATEVER, OR UNDER IT WOULD NOT BE AFFECTED.

COMMISSIONER SHERA, NO QUESTIONS FOR ME OR ANY THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER RESI.

HEY MATT, APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.

SOUNDS LIKE GOOD STUFF.

UH, NO QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME, BUT I'M GENERALLY SUPPORTIVE FOR SURE.

IS THE HIGH POINT TO HIGH POINT, UM, WIDTH OF THE, OF THE RIVER AND THROUGH THIS PERIOD, THROUGH THIS 25 MILE CHANNEL? OH, UM, WE, IN LOOKING AT WHERE THE, THE DEVELOPMENT IS RIGHT NOW, IT'S 200 FEET ON THIS SIDE, IT'S 200 FEET ON THIS SIDE, BUT IT'S HIGH POINT TO HIGH POINT FOR THE RIVER DOESN'T, IS NOT INCLUDED IN THOSE 200 FOOT SETBACKS.

ALRIGHT, THANK YOU SIR.

COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN? YEAH, I GOT A COUPLE QUESTIONS.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, WITH THIS, WITH THE SETBACK, WHAT, WHAT GENERALLY

[00:40:01]

LET'S SEE.

BUT LIKE THE RIVER EVERY YEAH.

RIVER'S DOWN HERE AND THEN YOU'VE GOT YEAH, I'M NOT, I'M NOT, UH, THE 200 FEET IS MEASURED FROM THE ORDINARY HIGH WATERMARK.

SO BASICALLY THE RIVERBANK AND YES, THE, UH, WHATEVER THE WIDTH OF THE RIVER IS NOT INCLUDED.

UM, IT IS IN THE RIGHT.

SO I I'M JUST TRYING TO GET AN IDEA OF LIKE, WHAT IS THE TOTAL WIDTH OF THE OH, I SEE.

SPACE, OH YEAH.

OUT HERE BECAUSE IT'S 400 FEET PLUS HIGH POINT TO HIGH POINT.

UM, WELL, AND THE RIVER, THE EROSION HAZARD ZONE DOES ACTUALLY GO UNDERNEATH THE RIVER.

SO IT IS, YOU KNOW, 200 FEET FROM ONE BANK ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE RIVER TO THE OTHER BANK.

BUT BECAUSE OF UNDERGROUND UTILITIES, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT CROSS UNDERNEATH IT.

UM, SO YEAH, THE, THE RIVER VARIES IN WIDTH, YOU KNOW, AND I DON'T KNOW OFFHAND WHAT THE EXACT, YOU KNOW, AVERAGE OR, OR, OR MAX AND MIN IS, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S SEVERAL HUNDRED FEET WIDE.

THE OTHER QUESTION, AND UM, THIS'S PROBABLY ANOTHER, NOT AN EASY ANSWER FOR THIS, BUT LIKE, HOW DEEP IS THE SAND? YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF GROUND, GROUND THAT WE HAVE HERE, UM, IF YOU HAVE TO PUT IN PYLONS, HOW, HOW FAR DOWN DO YOU HAVE TO GO? UM, A, A LONG WAY IS THE, IS ONE OF THE ANSWERS.

UM, SO IF YOU'RE IN THE RIVER AND YOU'VE GOT A PIPE UNDER THERE, WE ACTUALLY HAD ONE OF THE APPLICANTS CAME THROUGH, WE'RE ASKING THAT YOU BE 20 FEET IF YOU WANT TO JUST GO NO QUESTIONS ASKED VERSION.

BUT IF YOU COME THROUGH AND SAY, I'VE GOT INFORMATION THAT SHOWS THERE'S SHALE UNDER THERE, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, MUCH MUCH THAT'S, THAT'S HARD ENOUGH TO, TO, TO PROTECT THAT, THEN I CAN, I WOULD LIKE TO PUT IT 12 FEET DEEP.

THAT'S WHAT THAT APPLICANT DID AND WE ACCEPTED THAT.

SO, SO THAT'S THE POINT.

IT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE LOW POINT OF THE RIVER.

AND THEN DOWN BELOW THERE'S SOME ROCK UNDER THAT.

SO RIGHT.

SO I DON'T KNOW HOW, IF IT'S EIGHT FEET DEEP OR SIX FEET DEEP OR WHATEVER THE SAND THERE, BUT THEN YOU'VE GOT THE BLUFF THAT'S GOING UP 30, 40, 50, 60 FEET UP.

SO THAT'S ALL SAND, THE, THE WHOLE THING, RIGHT? THAT WHOLE COLUMN.

AND SO WE TALKED TO A STRUCTURAL ENGINEER, UH, WHO HAD DONE WORK FOR DECADES ALONG THE RIVER AND DID A LOT OF BORINGS.

AND SO THEY, AND WE SAID, WELL, WHAT KIND OF IMPACT WOULD THIS HAVE ON A SINGLE FAMILY HOME? AND THEY SAID, WELL, THEY'D PROBABLY HAVE TO, TO TO, I'D HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK THIS, BUT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE PUT, YOU KNOW, 20, 30 FOOT PIERS WOW.

IN, DOWN INTO THE SAND THERE IN ORDER TO DO THIS.

SO IT WOULD, IT WOULD INCREASE THE COST OF A BUILDING FOUNDATION IN, IN AN AREA AFFECTED BY THIS.

UM, AND DO WE HAVE GOOD DATA ON ALL OF THIS LAND THAT YOU SHOWED ALONG THE RIVER? LIKE WHAT THE DEPTH OF THE SAND IS AND I MEAN, WE HAVE TOTAL GRAPHIC INFORMATION, WHAT TYPES OF SOIL THERE ARE? YEAH, I MEAN, I MEAN IT'S, IT'S, IT'S GENERALLY THE GEOLOGY IS PRETTY MUCH SAND AND, UM, I'M SURE IT VARIES SOME, AND THAT'S WHY YOU WOULD HAVE A QUALIFIED PERSON COME OUT AND LOOK AT YOUR PARTICULAR SITUATION.

BUT GENERALLY IT'S SAND AND GRAVEL AND IT GOES DOWN, YOU KNOW, QUITE A WAYS, UH, YOU KNOW, DOWN, DOWN TO AT LEAST THE, THE LEVEL OF THE RIVER ITSELF.

GREAT.

ALRIGHT, WELL THANKS.

UH, OF ALL THIS AREA, IS THIS ALL ETJ? IS ANY OF THIS IN THE CITY? UM, YEAH, GREAT QUESTION.

SO THE, UM, IN YOUR PACKET, UM, UH, THOSE VERY FRONT SLIDES THAT KIND OF BLEW THROUGH 'EM, BUT IT HAS, IT HAS A PICTURE OF THE, UM, OF THE RIVER AND IT SHOWS THE CITY AND YELLOW, AND THEN IT KIND OF TRANSITIONS TO BLUE MOST OF THE RIVER, I, I, I ACTUALLY HAVE CALCS OF THIS, BUT I DIDN'T BRING 'EM WITH ME.

I DON'T KNOW.

I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA SAY THAT A QUARTER OR A THIRD OF IT IS OF, OF THE RIVER ITSELF IS, AND THE PROPERTIES ALONG IT ARE IN THE CITY LIMITS, AND AT LEAST TWO THIRDS TO THREE QUARTERS ARE IN THE ETJ.

UM, OKAY.

WE, WE'VE TALKED TO OUR ENGINEERING WORK GROUPS THAT WOULD BE THE INTERACTING WITH THESE FOLKS.

SO MOST OF THE PROPERTY AFFECTED IS IN THE ETJ, MOST OF, YES.

MOST OF THE LAND AREA AFFECTED, YES.

NOW, I WAS A LITTLE BIT CONFUSED, MAYBE IT'S 'CAUSE I'M RECOVERING FROM A COLD, UH, ABOUT .

WHAT PROPERTIES WOULD BE IMPACTED BY THIS? SOME OF THE SLIDES YOU SHOWED, UH, WERE OF HOUSES THAT WERE FALLING INTO THE RIVER AND THAT GAVE SOME, AND THEN YOU REFERRED TO PEOPLE CAME TO YOU, AND IT SEEMED TO ME THAT YOU WERE, YOU KNOW, TH THIS WAS BEING DONE AT THE REQUEST OF, OF PEOPLE WHO LIVED OUT THERE SAYING, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS.

BUT THESE PEOPLE ARE IN THE ETJ AND THEY'RE NOT CITIZENS OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

IS THAT CORRECT? YEAH, IN THE, IN THE CASE, UH, WE'VE HAD SEVERAL FOLKS COME TO US, IS MY UNDERSTANDING.

AND, AND SO, UM, OTHER,

[00:45:01]

SO THE PICTURE I SHOWED YOU WITH THE 20 FOOT BACKYARD PROBLEM THAT'S IN OUR CITY LIMITS.

SO THAT ONE WAS IN THE CITY LIMITS.

AND THEN, UM, THERE'S ANOTHER COMMUNITY ACROSS THE RIVER THAT YOU SAW IN THE VIDEO WHERE THE KIND OF, THE BUFFER WAS KIND OF SUPERIMPOSED.

THEY'VE ACTUALLY COME TO US AND, AND, AND EXPRESSED SOME CONCERN LIKE, HEY, OVER TIME WE'RE SEEING OUR, WE'RE SEEING THE RIVER BANK KIND OF, 'CAUSE IT'S LITERALLY MOVING TOWARD THEM.

IF YOU, YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE OVER WITH, UH, OVER TIME THESE, UH, AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS.

NO, I TO, I UNDERSTAND.

YEAH, I UNDERSTAND.

BUT THOSE ARE, THEY'RE IN, THEY'RE THEY'RE IN OUR CITY LIMITS AS WELL.

SO THE CITY IS NOT GONNA, UH, IT WOULD BE A TRAVIS COUNTY ISSUE IF IT WERE IN THE E TJ.

IT'S A CITY ISSUE.

WELL, YEAH.

BUT ALL THOSE BLUE AREA, WHICH YOU SAID IS THREE QUARTERS OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.

YEAH, TWO THIRDS.

YEAH, YEAH.

WHATEVER.

I'M NOT GONNA ARGUE OVER A COUPLE OF DECIMAL POINTS OR SOMETHING.

UH, THE POINT IS, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE PICTURE THAT YOU HAVE ON ONE OF THE EARLY SLIDES WITHIN THE ETJ, AND SO WHAT I HEARD YOU SAY ALSO IS THAT THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO OBEY ANYTHING THAT WE DO, UH, UNLESS THEY HAVE A SITE PLAN, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.

SO SITE, SO, YOU KNOW, YOU GET A LOT OF SITE PLAN DEVELOPMENTS ALONG THESE AREAS AND YOU ALSO HAVE SUBDIVISION DEVELOPMENTS.

SO IF IT'S SUBDIVISION OR SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL, IT WON'T BE AFFECTED.

LIKE I MENTIONED, YOU'RE, YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT.

BUT IF YOU HAVE A SITE PLAN AND YOU WANTED TO PUT IN, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, A, UH, A NEW, A NEW COMMERCIAL AREA OR A NEW MULTIFAMILY PROJECT OR A NEW WHAT HAVE YOU, YOU KNOW, THE ANYTHING THAT IS REGULATED BY A SITE PLAN, WHICH IS A LOT OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF DEVELOPMENT, UM, WOULD, SO PREDO WOULD BE SUBJECT TO THIS PREDOMINANTLY RIGHT NOW, WHAT'S GOING OUT THERE, WHAT'S BEING CONSTRUCTED OUT THERE? STUFF THAT'S, IT'S, IT'S A VARIETY.

IT'S A VARIETY.

LIKE A VARIETY.

BUT I MEAN, PREDOMINANTLY, I MEAN, UH, THE, UH, THE TESLA FACTORY IS OUT WELL OUTSIDE OF THE, OF THE, OF THE HAZARD ZONE, YOU KNOW, THE BUILDING.

BUT THAT SORT OF THING, LIKE, SO A, A MANUFACTURING PLANT OF THAT SIZE OR WHAT HAVE YOU, THAT THAT WOULD BE REGULATED A PARKING LOT FROM ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WOULD BE REGULATED AS PART OF THIS.

YOU'D WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ASSETS WERE, YOU KNOW, PROPERLY, YOU KNOW, DESIGNED AND PROTECTED.

MY UNDERSTANDING THOUGH, IS TESLA'S TRYING TO GET THEMSELVES REMOVED FROM THE ETJ, IS THAT NOT CORRECT? I THINK THEY ARE.

THEY'VE, THEY'VE ALREADY, THEY DID, YEAH.

SO THIS WOULDN'T APPLY TO THEM.

IT WOULDN'T APPLY TO THEM.

IT WOULD REALLY PROBABLY ONLY THE, THE EFFECT OF THIS, UH, HAD, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, WELL, THEY'RE WELL BEFORE THIS IS ALL GOING HAPPENING, BUT THEY WOULD'VE NEEDED TO DESIGN THEIR OUTFLOW STRUCTURE, UH, PER THE NEW CRITERIA AND SO FORTH, ET CETERA.

UM, HAVE YOU MODELED THE EROSION PATH OF THE RIVER AS YOU INDICATED? MM-HMM.

, UH, THE COLORADO RIVER, LIKE THE MISSISSIPPI AND OTHER LARGE RIVERS THAT HAVE A LARGE FLOW OF WATER, UH, ESPECIALLY ONES WITH A LOT OF SWITCH BATS LIKE THIS TEND TO ROAD AT THE, UH, YOU KNOW, ON, ON THE OUTSIDE BEND, RIGHT.

BEND OF, OF THE RIVER.

SO YOU CAN REALLY KIND LOOK AT THIS MAP AND SEE WHERE THE EROSION AREAS ARE GONNA BE.

TO KEEP THAT IN MIND AS YOU DECIDE TO SPEND HOWEVER MILLION, MILLIONS OF DOLLARS PURCHASING THE LAND AND BUILDING A SHOPPING CENTER OR A 500 HOUSE DEVELOPMENT HERE.

UH, AND THEN YOU HAVE THE HISTORICAL, YOU KNOW, PLANES OF THE RIVER, YOU KNOW, THE HISTORICAL PATH WHICH YOU REFERRED TO EARLIER.

UH, ARE YOU LOOKING AT, I MEAN, HAVE YOU MODELED AT THE RATES OF EROSION ALONG THIS JUST TO DETERMINE WHAT AREAS ARE AT HIGHEST RISK? WE, WE DID ACTUALLY LOOK AT, UH, WE CONSIDERED THAT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PROJECT.

UM, ONE OPTION WOULD'VE BEEN TO, TO ENGAGE WITH A CONSULTANT AND ACTUALLY STUDY THE PLAN FORM OF THE RIVER AND FIGURE OUT WHERE IT IS AND, AND, AND KIND OF MAP, MAP OUT WHAT THE, THE HIGHEST RISK AREAS WOULD'VE BEEN.

THAT WOULD'VE BEEN EXPENSIVE, WOULD'VE TAKEN A LONG TIME.

UM, IT WOULD'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, USEFUL EXERCISE.

BUT IN THE END, WE DECIDED WHERE WE'D GO WITH THIS KIND OF SIMPLER APPROACH OF THIS JUST A MODEST 200 FOOT STRIP ALONG HERE, TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH.

I MEAN, YOU, YOU COULD ARGUE THAT IT SHOULD BE WIDER THAN 200 FEET.

WE FELT, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THE FACT THAT THE RIVER IS, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IF YOU GO BACK IN PRE 1940, THERE'S NO MANSFIELD DAM.

THERE'S WATER BLOWING THROUGH AND BIG FLOODS AND CREATING ALL KINDS OF MOVEMENT.

WE'RE NOT SEEING THAT LEVEL OF CHANGE, BUT WE ARE SEEING TENS OF FEET AND SO FORTH HAPPENING.

AND SO WE WANTED TO, UH, KIND OF STRIKE A BALANCE OF SIMPLICITY AND, AND, AND, AND SPEED TO GET SOMETHING IN PLACE.

UM, AND NOT LOOK AT THAT.

'CAUSE I, I, YOU KNOW, I WOULD ARGUE THAT, THAT THAT PROBABLY WOULD NOT BE WORTH THE, UH, THAT IT'S PROBABLY NOT THE BEST APPROACH HERE.

SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHY WE'RE RECOMMENDING THE MORE SIMPLE 200 FOOT VERSION INSTEAD OF A RIGHT, INSTEAD OF A RIVER STUDY.

IT'D BE, I MEAN, I, THE REASON I'M ASKING IS THIS, YOU'RE DOING ALL THESE PREVENTATIVE MEASURES THAT ARE GOOD, BUT BY THE SAME TOKEN, A BETTER MEASURE IS TO SAY, WELL, THERE'S A 50% CHANCE WITHIN THE NEXT 50 YEARS THIS LAND IS GONNA BE GONE AND IT'S GONNA BE IN THE GULF OF MEXICO.

AND SO WHEN YOU BUY THIS LAND, YOU NEED

[00:50:01]

'CAUSE IT'S ALL GONNA GO AWAY.

AND, AND, AND WE REALLY DO WANT TO HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE THAT GIVES PEOPLE A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT THEIR RISK IS.

AND WE THINK THE 200 FOOT IS DEFINITELY A MORE PROTECTIVE, MORE CONSERVATIVE MEASURE THAN, THAN THE, THE CURRENT 100 FEET.

BUT YOU DIDN'T WANT TO GO REALLY AGGRESSIVE AND WITH 400 FEET, THE 400 FEET WOULD'VE BEEN FOR THE CRITICAL ZONE.

I MEAN, YOU COULD, I MEAN, WE COULD HAVE, YOU COULD HAVE DONE A A HUNDRED, 400 FOOT EROSION HAZARD ZONE, BUT THAT, I THINK THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD'VE BEEN A, I MEAN, A PRETTY CAUTIOUS, LIKE, WOW, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, THAT ONE HOUSE THAT WAS THREATENED, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN THERE A NUMBER OF DECADES, YOU KNOW, LONG FOR A VERY LONG TIME.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT SEEING, YOU KNOW, CATASTROPHIC RAPID CHANGE ALL THE TIME, BUT WE THINK OVER TIME IT'S, IT'S WISE PRUDENT TO, YOU KNOW, DO SOMETHING MORE THAN WE HAVE OUT THERE NOW.

WELL, WE DIDN'T USE TO HAVE A LOT OF FLOODS HERE AT ALL.

NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN WE'RE HAVING A LOT OF FLOODS.

AND WE'RE, YOU MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, WE BOUGHT OUT A HOME THERE, BUT WE BOUGHT OUT A LOT OF, WE BEING THE CITY, BOUGHT OUT A LOT OF HOUSES ALONG ONION CREEK BECAUSE, WELL, FOR DECADES, NOTHING FLOODED ALONG ONION CREEK.

AND NOW WE'RE BUYING OUT ALL THIS PROPERTY BECAUSE OF FLOODS.

AND YOU TALK ABOUT AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION IS WORTH A POUND OF CURE.

WELL, HERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO LOTS OF OUTS AS A PROVISION TO PREVENT MM-HMM.

A COUPLE OF TONS OF CURE.

AND SO I'M JUST CURIOUS WHY WE'RE NOT NOT DOING THAT WELL.

AND FOR THE RECORD, I MEAN, WE'VE, AUSTIN'S HAD MANY, MANY HUGE FLOODS THAT, YOU KNOW, PAID BACK INTO THE 18 HUNDREDS AND SO FORTH.

SO WE KNOW WE HAVE BIG FLOODS PERIODICALLY.

WE HAVE THIS SORT OF NO FLOODS FOR A WHILE ON ONION.

AND NOW, YOU KNOW, THEN WE GOT THESE TWO BIG ONES.

SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE ALWAYS KNOWN WE'RE IN FLASH FLOOD ALLEY, AND, AND WE KNOW WITH CLIMATE CHANGE AND OTHER FACTORS, WE'RE GONNA GET, CONTINUE TO GET THESE BIG EVENTS.

SO WE'RE NOW HAS, THIS IS PART OF THAT PREPARATION.

HAS THE CITY DONE AN ANALYSIS OF THE PROPERTIES, UH, WITHIN 200 OR 400 FEET? PICK YOUR DISTANCE.

UH, FIND OUT HOW MANY OF THESE PROPERTIES ACTUALLY HAVE FLOOD INSURANCE.

I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION.

UM, WE, WE'VE ACTUALLY, UM, WE'VE ACTUALLY REQUESTED THAT INFORMATION FOR A SEPARATE, UH, PROJECT.

BUT, UM, WE, WE ARE STILL WAITING ON FEMA'S UM, UH, FOLKS TO SEND US THE DATA.

SO I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.

YEAH, THERE'S NOT, THERE'S NOT THAT MANY PEOPLE IN THE FLOODPLAIN HERE.

MOST OF THE PEOPLE ARE UP ON THESE BLUFFS.

THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT ACTUALLY IN THE FLOODPLAIN.

AND EROSION HAZARD ZONES, FA FASCINATINGLY, THEY ARE HELPING PROTECT AREAS THAT ARE OUT OF THE FLOODPLAIN, BUT AT EROSION RISKS, IT'S KIND OF A NICE COMPLIMENT TO HAVE THE, IN THE LOW AREAS, HAVE THE FLOODPLAIN PROTECTIONS IN THE HIGH AREAS TO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE THE EROSION HAZARD.

SO.

ALRIGHT.

VERY GOOD.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MATT.

YOU'RE WELCOME.

THANK YOU SECRETARY BRISTOL.

I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS.

UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.

UM, SO HELP ME UNDERSTAND, UM, I'M JUST GONNA, I WROTE A BUNCH OF STUFF DOWN AND IT'S GONNA COME OUT RANDOM BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL ON DIFFERENT PAGES, BUT HELP ME UNDERSTAND, UH, WHAT THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ON THIS WAS.

UM, WELL, WE HAD, UH, I MEAN IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN THIS LAST, LAST MONTH, WE, WE GOT, UH, UH, LETTERS TO FOLKS TO, WE ACTUALLY SENT A, UH, FOR THE OCTOBER 28TH MEETING WHEN IT WAS OUR FIRST MAJOR OUTREACH, UM, IS WE SENT, UH, WE SENT A LETTER TO EVERY PROPERTY AND TO EVERY OWNER.

SO WE WERE, WE'RE TRYING TO HIT, YOU KNOW, SOME, SOME ARE THE SAME PERSON, BUT SOME WOULD BE THE RENTER AND SOME WOULD BE SOMEBODY IN CALIFORNIA OR LUBBOCK OR WHATEVER THAT OWN THE PROPERTY.

SO WE TRIED TO GET, UH, AND WE, AND IT GAVE INFORMATION, GAVE THE WEBSITE, GAVE THE, UM, THE, THE VIDEO LINK, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.

SO EVERYBODY WHO, WHO THIS TOUCHES THAT 200 FOOT EXPANSION TOUCHES GOT NOTICE THAT THIS IS HAPPENING AND TO, AND AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME TO THAT MEETING.

WE HAD ABOUT 50 PEOPLE SHOW UP.

UM, AND THEN WE, UH, AND THEN AT LEAST THEY KNOW ABOUT THIS, AND THEN THEY ALSO KNOW ABOUT THIS PUBLIC PROCESS.

UH, SO THIS IS A, THIS IS THE NEXT STEP, STEP IS TO TALK TO YOU GUYS TO TALK TO PLANNING COMMISSION, AND GO TO COUNCIL.

UM, SO MY NEXT QUESTION, UM, IS ABOUT THE BUYOUT PROGRAM.

SO YOU MENTIONED THAT THAT ONE HOME HAD BEEN, UH, BOUGHT OUT.

IS THERE, IS THERE A BIGGER BUYOUT PROGRAM THAT IS AVAILABLE TO SOME OF THESE OWNERS? UM, IN THE AREA? UM, IN THAT ONE CASE, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE OWNER DID, UM, CONSIDERED THE BUYOUT AND DECIDED NOT TO TAKE US UP ON IT.

SO WE ACTUALLY HAVE BOUGHT, UH, NO PROPERTIES ALONG THIS FOR EROSION.

WE BROUGHT UP MANY IN THE AUSTIN AREA.

YEAH, I DON'T KNOW THE NUMBER OFF, OFF TOP OF MY HEAD IN OTHER CREEKS, BUT WE HAVE NOT BOUGHT ANY, TO MY KNOWLEDGE ALONG THE, ALONG THE COLORADO.

UM, THERE IS, AND SO THERE IS NO ACTUAL PROGRAM, BUT IT WOULD BE AN AD HOC, UH, SITUATION.

IF SOMEBODY WERE TO BE THREATENED, WE WOULD, WE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE COULD CONSIDER THAT OPTION.

A, YOU KNOW, A GREAT EROSION, UH, STREAM, BANK EROSION TEAM.

AND TO, TO ADD ONTO THAT, SO THAT WE DO HAVE A,

[00:55:01]

UM, AND THEY HAVE A POOL OF MONEY AND THEY HAVE, UM, KNOWN EROSION RISKS MAPPED THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND HAVE A WAY TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE, THIS IS THE STRUCTURE THAT IS MOST AT RISK, YOU KNOW, HABITABLE.

AND, AND SO THERE IS A, THERE IS A PROGRAM THAT LOOKS AT THESE, UM, THERE ISN'T ONE SPECIFICALLY FOR THE COLORADO RIVER, BUT THEY, THEY'RE VERY WELL AWARE OF, UH, THE, THE HOUSES ALONG THIS STRETCH.

UM, MY NEXT QUESTION THEN IS, UM, UH, ARE THERE, YOU, YOU MENTIONED DOG HEAD, UM, WHICH OF COURSE IS THE HORNS V BEND AREA.

UM, AND, UM, ARE THERE, ARE THERE PARKS PLANNED FOR THIS AREA? I MEAN, I KNOW IT'S KIND OF BEEN A BIG GRAVEL PIT FOR A LOT OF THAT PROPERTY, UM, BUT IF IT'S GOING INTO, YOU KNOW, BEING CONSIDERED FOR MULTI-FAMILY SUBDIVISIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, IS THERE A PARKLAND, UH, BEING CONSIDERED FOR THAT AREA? UM, I, I, I'M NOT THE EXPERT ON THAT.

WE DID MEET WITH OUR, WITH THE DEV ONE, UH, DEVELOPMENT ENTITY THAT WAS INTERESTED IN THE AREA.

THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT A TRAIL SYSTEM.

I THINK, YOU KNOW, PARKLAND DEDICATION IS, IS A COMPONENT OF ALL, YOU KNOW, PROJECTS AS BIGGER PROJECTS WITHIN A RESIDENTIAL ELEMENT.

YOU WANNA TALK A LITTLE, RIGHT? AND SO PARD IS IN THE, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE RECENTLY JUST DONE A, A PLAN FOR THE BOM DISTRICT PARK, WHICH IS, HAS CONNECTIVITY TO THE COLORADO RIVER.

UM, AND OF COURSE THERE'S THE TREVINO PARK THAT, UM, EXISTS ALREADY.

UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, EVERY PROJECT THAT COMES IN DOES HAVE PARKLAND DEDICATION REQUIREMENTS.

UM, THAT'S WHAT I, UM, AM I'M AWARE OF THE DOG'S HEAD IS ANOTHER QUESTION ALTOGETHER THAT, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE PLANS BEING CONSIDERED, BUT, UM, WHAT THOSE ARE HAVEN'T BEEN, UH, SUBMITTED YET.

SO, UM, THERE, THERE WILL LIKELY BE SOME SORT OF PARK LAND ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.

'CAUSE THAT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S ALREADY SOME BIG JUST CONSTRUCTION GOING ALONG, UM, 9, 7 3 KIND OF IN THAT AREA.

SO, UM, UM, OKAY.

SO, UM, I'M GONNA MENTION TESLA.

UM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THEY WERE PART OF THE, UM, ETJ, UM, THEY PROMISED A BUNCH OF NATURE TRAILS.

THEY PROMISED A BUNCH OF THAT, IT WOULD BE A NATURAL PARADISE ALONG THE, UM, THE COLORADO RIVER.

AND OF COURSE THEY PULLED AWAY FROM THAT, AND THEY HAVE NO OBLIGATION FOR THAT.

SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANNA SEE SOMETHING LIKE THAT HAPPEN AGAIN WHERE WE, THE TAXPAYERS, YOU KNOW, PUT IN INFRASTRUCTURE AND ALL KINDS OF THINGS, UM, THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, AND THEN WE GET THE CARPET PULLED OUT FROM UNDER US.

SO, UM, I, IN SAYING THAT BRINGS ME TO MY NEXT POINT, WHICH I AM CONCERNED, UM, THAT NOWHERE IN HERE, YOU KNOW, ARE COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL, YOU KNOW, MANUFACTURING, NONE OF THOSE PROPERTIES ARE BEING CONSIDERED OR HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR, FOR THEIR PROPERTIES.

AND SO HERE'S MY BIG CONCERN ON THAT.

IF I'M, YOU KNOW, A LANDOWNER AND I, AND I HAVE A SINGLE FAMILY HOME, UM, ALL OF THE ONUS FALLS TO ME.

AND SO LET'S SAY I, YOU KNOW, DO MY DILIGENCE AND I PUT IN MY BUFFERS AND, AND YOU KNOW, I DO, I WORK WITH THE CITY.

I DO EXACTLY WHAT I'M TOLD TO DO, BUT I'M SURROUNDED BY MANUFACTURING OR INDUSTRIAL, AND THEY'RE NOT REQUIRED TO DO ANYTHING.

MINE'S JUST GONNA DISSOLVE.

IT'S GONNA GO AWAY, IT'S GONNA BE ERODED BEHIND, IT'S GONNA BE UNDERMINED.

AND SO I I, I'M REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.

THAT'S, THAT'S A REAL CONCERN.

IF I WAS A PROPERTY OWNER, I'D BE PRETTY, PRETTY ANXIOUS AND, AND, UM, A LITTLE UPSET ABOUT THAT.

SO TELL ME WHY THEY WERE TAKEN OUT.

OKAY, SO, UH, SO VERY CRUCIAL TO TO, TO TALK ABOUT THAT.

SO IF YOU, UM, SO I WOULD SAY THE COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL IS VERY MUCH REGULATED ALREADY, AND THEY ARE, AND THEY WOULD BE REGULATED BY THE NEW 200 FOOT EROSION HAZARD ZONE AS WELL.

SO IF SOMEBODY WERE COMING IN ON THE BANK AND THEY WANTED TO PUT IN AN INDUSTRIAL PLANT, UH, MULTIFAMILY, WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, ALL THOSE, THOSE ARE, YOU KNOW, ALL SITE PLAN PROJECTS, E EVEN IN THE ETJ, BE REGULATED WITH THIS, UM, THOSE WOULD ALREADY BE PART, THEY WOULD HAVE TO PUSH BACK 200 TO 400 FEET FROM THE, IN THE CRITICAL WATER QUALITIES ZONE ALREADY.

UM, AND THEN THEY WOULD, AND TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY, IT'S POSSIBLE TO REDEVELOP SOMETHING THAT'S ALREADY THERE AND YOU JUST KIND OF SCRAPE IT AND PUT IT BACK IN THE SAME SPOT, YOU COULD ACTUALLY ENCROACH INTO THE CRITICAL ZONE THAT WAY IT WOULD BE REGULATED BY THE EROSION HAZARD ZONE.

IN THAT CASE.

IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A FOOTNOTE, BUT IT, IT WOULD BE, UM, BUT SO I WOULD, I WOULD NOT, I WOULD NOT SAY THAT.

AND THEN ALSO FOR ASKING, ASKING THAT THEY, UM, PROVIDE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT IS ARMORED AND IT DOESN'T CREATE

[01:00:01]

THOSE CANYONS.

YOU'RE NOT, I DON'T THINK YOU'RE GONNA GET, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THERE AREN'T THOSE, UH, PROBLEMS THAT ARE GONNA, YOU KNOW, AFFECT A, A NEARBY SINGLE FAMILY NE RE UH, YOU KNOW, NEIGHBOR OR ANY OTHER PROPERTY OWNER.

SO I WOULD, I WOULD ACTUALLY SAY WE ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE PROVISIONS IN PLACE FOR THOSE TYPES OF DEVELOPMENTS.

UM, AND, UH, AND WE'RE TRYING TO STRENGTHEN THE EROSION HAZARDS ZONE PIECE OF IT.

'CAUSE YOU DIDN'T MENTION ANY OF THOSE IN YOUR PRESENTATION, AND I WAS EVEN LOOKING AT THE BACKUP, AND I NEVER SEE THE WORDS COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL MANUFACTURING.

AND I, I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.

THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF WHEN YOU, WHEN WE SAY SITE PLAN, THERE'S A LONG LIST OF POSSIBILITIES AND THOSE ARE ALL UNDERNEATH, THAT WOULD BE UNDER UNDERNEATH THAT.

THAT'S PROBABLY A GOOD THING TO CLARIFY IN THE PRESENTATION.

UM, DEFINITELY.

UH, BECAUSE I WAS GONNA GET REAL HUNG UP ON THAT.

UM, OKAY, SO, UM, MY NEXT QUESTION, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE THINK ABOUT THE, THE RIVER, YOU MENTIONED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS, YOU KNOW, UM, SORT OF THE CAUSES, UM, YOU KNOW, AS WE CONTINUE TO CREATE IMPERVIOUS COVER ALONG ALL THESE AREAS, UM, IN THE SITE PLANS, YOU KNOW, YES.

WE'LL HAVE IT FARTHER BACK, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE ALL THESE CREEKS THAT ARE COMING IN HERE TOO, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, YOU'RE NOT GONNA INCLUDE THE CREEKS IN THOSE, RIGHT? IT'S JUST FOR THE RIVER, AS FAR AS THE BIG SETBACKS GO, JUST THE YES.

THE, THE, THE, THE TRIBUTARIES COMING IN, COMING IN WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE THE 100 FOOT VERSION.

WISH IT WAS MORE, UM, LET ME SEE HERE.

LIKE I SAID, I WROTE ON A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT PAGES, .

UM, OKAY, SO THEN THE SUBDIVISIONS, UM, ARE YOU SAYING, SO IN HERE, LEMME FIGURE OUT WHICH PAGE IT IS.

TELL ME, SO SUBDIVISIONS ARE INCLUDED OR ARE NOT INCLUDED? SUBDIVISIONS WOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE CITY LIMITS.

THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE, AGAIN, THEY WOULD HAVE TO RESPECT, THEY ALREADY, THEY WOULD ALREADY HAVE TO HAVE A 200 FOOT CRITICAL ZONE OR MORE.

SO THEY'RE NOT, I MEAN, THEIR, THEIR FOOTPRINT ISN'T VERY AFFECTED, BUT TO THE EXTENT THEY HAVE OTHER STUFF GOING ON THAT HAPPENS TO BE IN THE, IN THAT 200 FOOT AREA, THEY, THEY NEED TO RESPECT IT.

AND THEN THE ETJ, WE'RE NOT PROPOSING CHANGES THAT WOULD BE IN OUR TITLE 30, UM, PART OF OUR CODE.

SO WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT PROPOSING SUBDIVISION CHANGES AT THIS TIME.

BUT THE STORMWATER OKAY, MAYBE THAT'S WHERE I WAS CONFIRMING.

YEAH, YEAH.

THE STORMWATER CRITERIA MANUAL WOULD STILL APPLY YES.

UM, FOR THOSE SUBDIVISIONS.

SO ANY KIND OF STORMWATER DISCHARGE, WHICH IS REALLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST DRIVERS OF THESE, UH, GIANT CANYONS THAT ARE BEING, UM, THAT WE SEE IS FROM STORMWATER NOT BEING HANDLED CORRECTLY, THAT WOULD BE A C CRITERIA MANUAL CHANGE, WHICH WOULD APPLY, UM, IN THE COUNTY.

MAYBE THAT'S WHY I WAS CONFUSED ON THAT.

AND, AND WE WOULD HAVE A 200 FOOT MINIMUM BUFFER OUT THERE.

AND, AND THEN TO THE EXTENT THAT SOMEBODY LEFT THE ETJ, THEY WOULD HAVE A 400 FOOT CRITICAL EVEN.

SO, YOU KNOW, SO, SO THIS, THIS BUFFER WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT AS, IN OUR VIEW, IT'S NOT AS, UM, CRUCIAL TO EXTEND THIS INTO THE COUNTY.

INTO THE ETJ.

SORRY.

'CAUSE THE COUNTY ALREADY HAS, COUNTY ALREADY HAS SOME MEASURES.

AND IT'S ALSO NOT, YOU KNOW, LIKE, UH, COMMISSIONER BRINER MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S NOT, WE'RE NOT GONNA DO BUYOUTS, WE'RE NOT GONNA DO ET CETERA OUTSIDE OF OUR CITY LIMITS EITHER.

UM, YOU MENTIONED A PRIVATE PIPE AND, UM, BOY, HOWDY, DID THAT RAISE SOME RED FLAGS FOR ME? WHY ARE WE USING OUR RIVER TO HAVE A PRIVATE PIPE GO DOWN? IT HELP ME UNDERSTAND THAT AND NOT BE MAD ABOUT THAT.

UM, I DON'T KNOW IF I KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.

I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S COMMON PR I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S AN UNCOMMON PRACTICE TO HAVE A, A, YOU KNOW, A UTILITY GOING UNDER A PRIVATE UTILITY GOING YOU MEAN A UTILITY LINE GOING UNDER THE RIVER? IS THAT, YEAH, HE MENTIONED THERE WAS A PRIVATE PIPE GOING UNDER THE RIVER THAT WAS RECENTLY APPROVED.

I MEAN, I, IF THEY HAVE THE OWNERSHIP OR THE ABILITY TO, TO DO SO, THERE'S NOT MUCH THAT WE COULD DO TO PREVENT IT.

IF THEY DID, UM, IF THEY, YOU KNOW, HAD THE OWNERSHIP AND THE ABILITY TO, TO DO SO, UM, PEOPLE ARE ALLOWED TO PUT UTILITY LINES AND FOR THOSE UTILITY LINES TO CROSS CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONES.

PROTECTIONS SO THAT IT NEEDS TO BE BURIED, UM, DEEP ENOUGH SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THE RIVER ITSELF DOESN'T ERODE AWAY.

I DIDN'T THINK THAT THEY COULD CROSS THE RIVER THOUGH FOR SOME REASON.

I MEAN, THE RIVER IS TREATED LIKE A, A CREEK IN THIS CASE.

IT'S A, IT HAS A CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONE.

UM, SO CURRENT CODE ALLOWS UTILITY LINES TO CROSS CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONES, INCLUDING THE COLORADO RIVER, THAT, THAT'S NOT EXEMPT FROM THAT.

INTERESTING.

BUT, BUT THIS DOES AT LEAST PROVIDE SOME

[01:05:01]

THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME UNDERSTAND THAT.

AND THEN MY NEXT QUESTION IS, YOU KNOW, LIKE, UM, LET'S SEE HERE.

I'M JUST LOOKING AT ONE OF THESE PHOTOS.

UM, LET'S SAY, YOU KNOW, GOD WILLING WE EVER GET SOME RAIN AGAIN.

UM, AND, YOU KNOW, A BIG EROSION HAPPENS.

DOES THE BANK, YOU KNOW, DO Y'ALL GO TO THAT PROPERTY OWNER AND BE LIKE, WELL, THIS IS NOW YOUR 400 FOOT OR YOUR 200 FOOT, YOU KNOW, LINE IS FROM THAT NEW, SO EVERY TIME IT ERODES THEY'RE BEING REEVALUATED ON WHERE THAT STARTS.

YEAH, THE GREAT QUESTION.

THE, THE THERE, YEAH.

AND, AND YOU'RE RIGHT THERE, THERE IS OVER TIME SOME MOVEMENT, UH, ALONG THE RIVER.

UH, SOMETIMES IT, IT DOESN'T MOVE AT ALL FOR REALLY LONG PERIODS OF TIME ON A STRAIGHTAWAY.

UH, COMMISSIONER BRIER, AGAIN, GREAT, GREAT COMMENTS ABOUT THE KIND OF THE OUTSIDE AND INSIDE BINS AND SO FORTH.

SO, UM, BUT IF IT DOES MOVE, UH, IT CAN MOVE.

UH, WE'RE NOT GONNA, UH, WE, WE WOULD PERIODICALLY UPDATE THE EROSION HAZARD ZONE KIND OF LINE ON OUR ON, IN OUR GIS MAP THAT WE PROVIDE TO THE COMMUNITY ONLINE.

AND THEN THE ONES THAT I'M USING ON THE, ON THE SCREEN HERE, UM, THOSE ARE SORT OF FOR PLANNING PURPOSES ONLY.

THE, THE KEY THING WOULD BE THE DEVELOPER, IF THEY'RE COMING IN TO DO A NEW PROJECT, THEY WOULD THEN DO THE MEASUREMENTS THEMSELVES, AND THEY WOULD, THEY WOULD VERIFY WHAT OUR SKETCH, BASICALLY WHAT THEY, YOU KNOW, OUR, THAT'S A PLANNING LEVEL MAP.

SO, UM, IT, AND IT COULD MOVE, THEY COULD ACTUALLY HAVE, YOU KNOW, SOME RETREAT IN THE AMOUNT OF, OF, OF SPACE THEY HAVE.

AND, UM, SO IT'S REALLY JUST A ONE-TIME DEAL.

I WANNA DEVELOP THIS LAND, HERE IT IS AT THIS TIME, I'M GONNA COME 200 FEET BACK.

WELL, WHO KNOWS, YOU KNOW, LATER ON MAYBE YOU LOSE TWO 20 OR 30 FEET OF IT.

UM, WHERE IT TO BE REDEVELOPED, I GUESS IT WOULD, YOU'D HAVE TO LOOK AT THE NEW VERSION, BUT A LOT OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS LAST, YOU KNOW, A LONG TIME.

AND SO THERE'S NOT, PEOPLE AREN'T JUST CONSTANTLY, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THIS, BUT YOU WOULD LOOK AT IT ANYTIME YOU WOULD PROPOSE A NEW DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THAT AREA.

AND I THINK, SO MOVING TARGET, I THINK WHAT, UM, KIND OF PROMPTED ME IS THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WE'LL SEE A SITE PLAN OR WE'LL SEE, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING COME FORWARD.

AND THEN IT MIGHT BE SEVERAL YEARS ACTUALLY BEFORE IT GETS DEVELOPED, YOU KNOW? AND SO THEN WHAT'S THE EVALUATION, YOU KNOW, FOR THAT PROCESS? UM, I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW? RIGHT.

SO, GOOD QUESTION.

YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY WE HAVE TO, IT'S KIND OF THE SAME WAY WITH TREES.

THEY CONTINUE TO GROW OVER, OVER TIME, BUT THE MEASUREMENT, UM, THAT IS ON THE APPROVED SITE PLAN IS WHAT THEY GET TO USE DURING THE CONSTRUCTION PHASE.

BUT IF THEY DO NEED TO HAVE A NEW PERMIT OR REDEVELOP, YOU KNOW, DECADES LATER, THEN WE WOULD TAKE NEW MEASUREMENTS AT THAT POINT.

AND THIS IS IN A, IN A WAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HOPING THIS IS FOR THE PROTECTION OF THOSE ASSETS FOR THOSE FOLKS.

AND, AND, AND JUST KNOWING THIS IS GOING ON IS HELPING THEM UNDERSTAND WHERE THEY WANT TO INVEST IN THIS AND, AND HOW, HOW, HOW, HOW MUCH TO PROTECT IT.

SO I WOULD HOPE THEY WOULD MAYBE TAKE, YOU KNOW, IF THERE WAS SOME MAJOR EROSION THAT MIGHT THINK, HEY, WOW, THAT MAYBE WE NEED A LITTLE MORE, UM, MAYBE WE NEED TO RECONSIDER THE, THE ALIGNMENT.

BUT THAT WOULD BE THEIR CHOICE.

THEY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ALREADY PERMITTED.

BECAUSE LIZ IS RIGHT.

THEY WOULD, THEY COULD, THEY COULD STATE THE COURSE ON THAT.

AND THEN, UM, MY, MY LAST THOUGHT OR QUESTION, UM, IS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T TALK ABOUT EVER MUCH, UM, ABOUT THE ALLUVIAL AQUIFERS THAT ARE ALONG THE RIVER THAT ARE SO IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT FEED INTO OUR EASTERN COMMUNITIES.

BUT HOW ARE WE, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO PROTECT THOSE? AND IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE IT'S IN HERE, BUT IS THERE SOMETHING OR A PATH TOWARDS US PROTECTING THOSE BETTER? THE, THE TRIBUTARIES TO THE RIVER ITSELF? THE LIKE, OH, THE ALLUVIAL AQUIFERS THAT, OH, THE ALLUVIAL LOCKFORD, I'M SORRY.

THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION.

THERE ARE SOME MASSIVE SPRINGS ALONG THE COLORADO RIVER, UM, AND WE KNOW WHERE A LOT OF THOSE ARE.

THEY ARE MAPPED, AND SO THEY HAVE, UM, A CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURE SETBACK OFF OF THOSE.

UM, BUT AS FAR AS THE AQUIFERS THEMSELVES, IT'S, UH, BECAUSE OF STATE LAW, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR US TO REALLY REGULATE GROUNDWATER.

WE CAN REGULATE STORMWATER AS IT GOES INTO A RESEARCH FEATURE WHERE WE CAN REGULATE THE SPRING WATER AFTER IT COMES OUT.

BUT IN BETWEEN THERE, WE, AS, AS THE CITY DOESN'T HAVE, UM, THE ABILITY TO, TO REGULATE GROUNDWATER.

UM, SO THAT, THAT CAN BE A LITTLE, A LITTLE TOUGH FOR US, UM, TO, TO DO SO.

AND LIKE, IF THERE'S A ESTIMATE OF LIKE HOW MANY P POTENTIAL EXPOSED PIPES THERE ARE.

THANKS FOR HEARING OUT ALL MY QUESTIONS.

I APPRECIATE IT.

ABSOLUTELY.

I, I JUST HAD A FEW QUESTIONS.

UM, I WANTED TO KNOW IF, UM, LIKE IF ALL THE, UH, PIPES THAT ARE DESTABILIZING THE, THE SHORELINE, LIKE IF THEY, IF THEY'VE ALL BEEN LOCATED

[01:10:01]

UM, WE HAVEN'T DONE AN INVENTORY THAT I KNOW OF AT THIS POINT, AT THIS AT THIS POINT.

UM, OBVIOUSLY WE KNOW ABOUT SOME RATHER MM-HMM, DRAMATIC VERSIONS THAT WE SHOWED YOU IN THE PICTURES.

UM, SO, UH, WE DID FIND ANOTHER, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF, UH, PUBLIC STORM DRAIN SYSTEMS, JUST YOUR, YOUR RUN OF THE MILL STORM DRAIN SYSTEM COMING OFF INTO THE RIVER.

AND OUR EROSION EXPERTS DID TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AS PART OF THIS PROJECT.

UM, THERE'S NOT A TON OF DEVELOPMENT ALONG THIS AREA AT THIS POINT, IN A WAY.

WE'RE TRYING TO GET AHEAD OF IT AND, AND KEEP THAT FROM HAPPENING.

SO, UM, I'LL, I'LL ASK OUR GUYS IF, IF THAT'S, YOU KNOW, IN THE, IN THE, IN THE CAR, IN KNOW, IN THE, IN THE FUTURE FOR US, UH, TO DO THAT SORT OF ANALYSIS.

BUT THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

'CAUSE, UM, ONE THING THAT I THOUGHT ABOUT WAS HOW, UM, A LOT OF OUR WATER INFRASTRUCTURE IS, IS SO OLD, AND SO THERE'S LEAKS IN, IN DIFFERENT PIPES IN THEM.

WAS THINKING ABOUT, WELL, IF THERE'S LEAKS IN SOME OF THE PIPES, MAYBE THERE'S LEAKS IN THE PIPES BY SHORE AND IT WOULD'VE ERODED FASTER.

UM, ALSO, I GUESS I WAS KIND OF WONDERING ABOUT LIKE, IF THERE'S ANY KNOWLEDGE ABOUT A LOT OF THESE PIPES THAT ARE CLOSER TO SHORE, LIKE IF THERE'S, IF THEY'RE LEAD LINE OR SINCE LIKE HOW OLD THE PIPE.

OH, I SEE.

SO, SO LEAD PIPES ARE AN INCREDIBLY BIG ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUE, UH, NATIONWIDE.

UH, THOSE ARE VERY, VERY OLD PIPES.

USUALLY.

THOSE ARE ALL, THOSE ARE ALMOST ALWAYS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WATER PIPES, WATER LINES.

THESE WOULD ALL BE EITHER, UH, UH, REINFORCED CONCRETE PIPES, RCPS OR CORRUGATED METAL PIPES, LIKE YOU SAW THE METAL PIPE IN THE, IN AUSTIN'S COLONIES.

SO THOSE ARE, NONE OF THEM HAVE THE LEAD IN THEM.

AND ANOTHER THING I WAS WONDERING ABOUT WAS, UM, LIKE YOU HAD MENTIONED LIKE THE PIPING CAN POTENTIALLY GO UNDER THE RIVER THAT GET TO CERTAIN PROPERTIES.

AND I WAS WONDERING LIKE, WELL, IT MADE ME THINK OF A PAST ITEM THAT WE HAD WHERE THE APPLICANT WANTED TO HAVE LIKE A GAS PIPE THAT LIKE FED INTO THEIR PROPERTY AND, AND LIKE WENT INTO UNDERWATER.

SO I WAS WONDERING, WELL, IS THAT A POTENTIAL THING OF LIKE, IF IT'S COMMERCIAL GAS PLANT OR, UH, WELL, GAS SITE OR SOMETHING MM-HMM.

TO WHERE THEY WOULD, UH, PUMP THE FUEL UNDER WATER INTO THEIR PROPERTY? OR HAS THAT BEEN KIND OF LIKE, WE DON'T WANT THAT? UM, I, UH, I DON'T KNOW MYSELF WHERE ANY GAS LINES ARE.

I MEAN, AT SOME POINT GAS LINES DO HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, LIKE JUST TR YOU KNOW, KIND OF LIKE LONGHORN PIPELINE KIND OF.

PIPE PIPES DO GO UNDER RIVERS, AND THERE'S A PROCESS TO DO THAT.

THAT'S NOT, I DON'T THINK THAT'S REGULATED BY US.

IS THAT TRUE? UH, THERE'S, THERE ARE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR PIPELINES.

UM, WE WOULD TREAT IT KIND OF LIKE A, A UTILITY LINE, SO IT WOULD STILL HAVE TO CROSS AS DIRECTLY AS POSSIBLE AND FOLLOW EROSION HAZARD ZONE REQUIREMENTS.

BUT, UM, GENERALLY, UH, A LOT OF THE PIPELINES THAT GO THROUGH AUSTIN ARE FEDERALLY REGULATED, AND WE DON'T HAVE A, A WHOLE LOT TO SAY TO THEM.

I GOTCHA.

AND, UH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION THOUGH.

I THINK THAT IS ALL THAT I HAD.

UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS? UH, COMMISSIONER PRIMER? YEAH.

THANK YOU PERRY.

UH, I HAVE TWO MORE.

UH, YOU MENTIONED PROTECTIVE WORKS AND YOU HAD THIS NICE LITTLE MM-HMM.

VIDEO UP THERE.

WHAT IS PROTECTIVE WORKS? WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT YEAH.

WHAT DO THOSE TWO WORDS MEAN IN YEAH, IT'S PRACTICAL TERMS. IT'S JUST A TERM OF ART THAT WE USED IN THE CRITERIA MANUAL.

AND IN THE CODE.

AND SO IT, IT REALLY REFERS TO THINGS LIKE, UM, YOU COULD, YOU COULD, LIKE WHEN WE SHOWED THAT PICTURE OF THE, OF THE, UH, HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL GETTING PROTECTED, YOU HAD THESE PIERS GOING DOWN.

YOU MIGHT USE PILINGS, UH, YOU MIGHT USE SOME ARM ARMORED WALLS, THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO IT'S JUST KIND OF A COLLECTION OF DIFFERENT ENGINEERING TOOLS THAT YOU WOULD USE TO STRUCTURALLY STABILIZE AND AND ARMOR, ARMOR A A, A BANK OR A, A SPOT ON THEM OF THEM ERRITORY.

SO WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS, THAT WOULD BE A REQUIRED FEATURE? IT IS A REQUIRED FEATURE IF YOU ARE, IF YOU WANT, SO THE LANDOWNER HAS A CHOICE, UM, IF THEY'RE WITHIN, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT, UH, BUFFER AND IN THE FOUR TO ONE SLOPE AREA, THEY CAN CHOOSE TO PULL BACK.

AND THEY'RE OUT OF IT AND NOT, NOT PROVIDE PROTECTIVE WORKS.

OR IF THEY WANT TO, UM, UH, BE IN THAT AREA, THEN THEY CAN PUT PEERS DOWN OR USE WHATEVER PROTECTIVE WORKS ARE NECESSARY.

AND SO THAT WE, WE WOULD, THEY WOULD SUBMIT SOMETHING SHOWING THEIR, THEIR, THEIR, THEIR, UM, THEIR PROPOSAL TO OUR, TO OUR DSD STAFF.

BUT IN THE ETJ, THERE'D BE NO REQUIREMENT FOR THAT.

THERE WOULD FOR A, A SITE PLAN, BUT NOT FOR, UH, ANYTHING THAT DID NOT REQUIRE A SITE PLAN.

REGULATE, UM, I REMEMBER LOOKING AT IT AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS PROJECT.

'CAUSE WE WOULD, WITHOUT TRAVIS COUNTY, TRAVIS COUNTY DOES HAVE A, UH, A NUMBER OF INRI EROSION HAZARD ZONE ELEMENTS IN THEIR CODE.

I'M NOT AS FAMILIAR WITH THAT, THEIR, THEIR CODE, BUT THEY, THEY, THEY

[01:15:01]

THEY, THEY REGULATE, UM, UH, SUBSURFACE INFRASTRUCTURE, JUST LIKE WE DO THE PIPES, THEY REGULATE.

IF YOU'RE PUTTING A STORMWATER POND NEAR THE, YOU KNOW, WITHIN A HUNDRED FEET, THEY REGULATE THAT AND SO FORTH, LIKE A BRIDGE, YOU KNOW, ET CETERA.

THEY, THEY WANNA LOOK AT THOSE ELEMENTS THAT ARE IN THE, THE EROSION HAZARD ZONE.

I DON'T KNOW THAT THEY, THEY REGULATE, UM, STRUCTURES LIKE WE DO LIKE A HOUSE.

NOW, RIGHT NOW, YOU SAID, UH, IN YOUR PRESENTATION YOU JUST HAD SOME BULLET ITEMS, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE A DRAFT RESOLUTION.

IS THAT CORRECT? UH, YOU'RE RIGHT.

BY, BY THE TIME BY DECEMBER 10TH, WE SHOULD HAVE A, UM, A, A DRAFT, UH, UH, ORDINANCE THAT WOULD, A NEW, UH, WOULD, WOULD, WOULD SPELL OUT THE DE THE DETAILS OF THIS AT THAT POINT.

IS THERE ANY REASON WHY YOU DIDN'T HAVE ONE PREPARED FOR TONIGHT? UH, YEAH.

WE, WE TYPICALLY, YOU KNOW, OR A LOT APARTMENT TYPICALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE GOT A WHOLE BUNCH OF, YOU KNOW, THINGS GOING ON.

THEY, THEY GENERALLY TRY TO GET, YOU KNOW, GET IT BY PLANNING COMMISSION.

THAT'S KIND OF THEIR DROP DEAD DATE ON THAT.

BUT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE TRY TO GIVE YOU GUYS THE INFORMATION YOU NEED, UM, AT THIS, YOU KNOW, TO, UH, TO KNOW WHAT WOULD BE IN THAT ORDINANCE.

AND SO IN THIS CASE, IT WOULD BE THE 100 FOOT CHANGED OR 200 FEET, IT WOULD BE THE HARD SURFACE TRAILS.

AND THEN WE MIGHT MAKE SOME CLARIFICATIONS ABOUT SOME MINOR THINGS THAT DON'T NEED TO BE INCLUDED IN AN EROSION HAZARD ZONE SO THAT FOLKS CAN UNDERSTAND THAT.

AND OUR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT WOULDN'T HAVE TO REGULATE THAT GOING FORWARD, LIKE A PATIO OR A DRIVEWAY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

SOME OF THAT WILL BE RIGHT.

WELL, THE REASON I ASK IS THAT IT'S ALWAYS USEFUL TO FIND OUT WHAT I'M VOTING ON, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE BEING ASKED TO VOTE ON SOMETHING FOR WHICH WE HAVE NOT THE FINAL LANGUAGE.

AND THAT'S TOTALLY UNDERSTAND, KIND OF AWKWARD TO APPROVE SOMETHING THAT LATER ON WAS NOT REALLY WHAT WE, I THINK THE, UH, THE MAJOR ELEMENTS AND, AND THE, AND THE, THE CRITERIA MANUAL THING IS A HEADS UP THAT IT'S COMING AND THE, AND, AND, AND THAT IT'S A SEPARATE THING.

IT'S NOT PART OF THE ORDINANCE, BUT THE, UH, THE ORDINANCE ITSELF IS RELATIVELY SIMPLE.

IT WOULD JUST BE THE 100 TO 200 HARD SURFACE TRAIL AND POTENTIALLY THESE OTHER THINGS.

SO, AND I APOLOGIZE IF WE DON'T HAVE THAT, THAT, THAT LANGUAGE AT THIS POINT.

BUT I THINK THE MAIN THINGS IN MY OPINION WOULD BE TO THINK, DO WE WANNA MAKE THAT 100 TO 200 CHANGES? THE, IS THE HEART OF THIS? UM, AND, AND, UM, THAT WOULD BE THE MAIN THING YOU GUYS WOULD BE CONSIDERING AND LOOKING AT, I WOULD THINK IN, IN, IN YOUR VOTE.

WELL, YEAH.

AND I, I UNDERSTAND, UH, THE LAW DEPARTMENT, THEY'RE BUSY PEOPLE BECAUSE I'VE DEALT WITH THEM.

UH, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE KIND OF SIGNING THE BLANK CHECK THING IS MY THING, BUT THANKS.

HERE'S OUR STAFF RECOMMENDATION.

SECRETARY BRISTOL.

UM, AND, AND Y'ALL'S PRESENTATION TODAY, I MEAN, ARE YOU ASKING US TO HELP YOU WITH SOME OF THAT LANGUAGE, OR ARE YOU JUST GIVING A PRESENTATION OF THIS IS WHAT IT'S GONNA BE? YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK, I THINK IT'S A, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, THE STANDARD.

DO YOU HAVE ANY, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT IS YOUR OPINION? WHAT, WHAT RECOMMENDATION WOULD YOU HAVE TO GIVE TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND COUNCIL MOVING FORWARD? WOULD BE THE, SO YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR LANGUAGE BECAUSE THE LAW DEPARTMENT WILL WRITE THAT BASED ON THE FEEDBACK WE GET FROM THE PUBLIC COMMENTS.

SO IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE KIND OF THE GENERAL IDEA OF IT, WE WILL TAKE THAT BACK AND, UM, YOU KNOW, CONVEY THAT TO THE, THE LAW DEPARTMENT.

YEAH, I MEAN, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, I MEAN, EVEN AFTER LISTENING TO THE PRESENTATION AND READING THE BACKUP AND, UM, YOU KNOW, STILL FAIRLY CONFUSING , UM, I, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY WITH NOT CLARIFYING, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT THE SITE PLAN, YOU KNOW, LIKE WHAT THEIR REQUIREMENTS ARE, WHAT, YOU KNOW, LIKE WHO DOES THIS REALLY AFFECT? BECAUSE AGAIN, WHEN I READ IT AND I READ IT SEVERAL TIMES, YOU KNOW, IT REALLY JUST LOOKS LIKE IT'S JUST SINGLE FAMILY HOMEOWNERS, UM, AND NOT, NOT EVERYBODY ELSE THAT YOU'VE INCLUDED IN THAT PICTURE.

SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK REALLY MAKING SURE THAT THAT'S REALLY CLEAR, UM, IS GONNA BE REALLY IMPORTANT FOR MOVING FORWARD.

AND I, I, UM, I AM SO HEADS UP ON THAT.

AND THEN I WANT TO ASK THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS, UM, IF THERE ARE, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS OR COMMENTS YOU WANT ME TO INCLUDE ON THIS? WELL, I MEAN, THE, THE HEART OF IT IS THAT FOR ANY PROJECT THAT REQUIRES A SITE PLAN, THAT THE EROSION HAZARD ZONE IS EXTENDED FROM 100 FEET TO 200 FEET.

THAN THE PROJECT ORIGINALLY COST TO BUILD.

WELL, I WOULD SUGGEST BASED ON THE, THE, THE POINT OF THIS THEY BROUGHT OUT IS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO PREVENT FIXING PROBLEMS LATER AT A GREATER COST

[01:20:01]

AND IN ORDER TO PREVENT THAT, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO SAY, OKAY, A HUNDRED FEET ENOUGH, WE NEED TO DO 200.

MY SUGGESTION IS, WELL, IF YOU REALLY WANT TO DO IT RIGHT, YOU REALLY WANT TO DO IT RIGHT.

IT'S NOT 200, IT'S 400.

AND ALSO, IF YOU REALLY WANT TO DO IT RIGHT, YOU NEED TO HAVE SOME, SOME DATA ON THE EROSION RATE OF THE COLORADO RIVER TO FIND OUT WHERE THE RISKY AREAS ARE AND WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TOFE PROTECT AND WHERE YOU NEED TO SPEND THE MOST TIME AND MONEY ON.

AND I DON'T HEAR THEY HAVE THIS INFORMATION, AND I UNDERSTAND IT'S GONNA BE COST COSTLY TO DEVELOP THAT STUFF, BUT WE'RE ALREADY SPENDING MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS A YEAR FIXING PAST MISTAKES.

SEEMS LIKE THIS IS MONEY WELL SPENT UPFRONT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THAT EROSION IS OCCURRING, WHAT THE RATE OF THE EROSION IS.

AND AS, UH, COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN MENTIONED, AND, AND YOU TOO, MATT, IS THE DEPTH OF THE SAND VARIES AT DIFFERENT PLACES.

SO YOUR EROSION RATES ARE NOT GONNA BE CONSISTENT DEPENDING UPON THE DEPTH OF THE SAND AND, AND, YOU KNOW, THE LIMESTONE AND A BUNCH OF OTHER FACTORS THAT ARE VARY DEPENDING UPON THE LOCAL GEOLOGY OF A PARTICULAR PLACE.

AND, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT FLOOD HISTORY DATA AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S RAMPING UP.

I MEAN, THIS IS ALL STUFF THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE IN ORDER TO MAKE A LONG-TERM STRATEGY TO MAKE THIS WORK GOING INTO AN UNCERTAIN FUTURE ECOLOGICALLY AND ENVIRONMENTALLY.

AND I THINK IF WE DON'T ADDRESS IT NOW, WE'RE JUST GONNA BE BACK HERE IN, SOMEONE'S GONNA BE BACK HERE IN 15 YEARS AND WELL, YOU KNOW, THIS REALLY WASN'T REALLY VERY GOOD.

WE NEED TO DO THIS.

THE OTHER THING I HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT IS THIS IS IN THE ETJ.

TESLA JUST DECIDED THEY'D PICK UP AND MOVE.

LOST CREEK DECIDED THEY'D PICK UP AND MOVE.

YOU KNOW, I QUESTION SPENDING TIME ON PARTS OF THE AREA THAT JUST CAN PICK UP AND MOVE BECAUSE WELL, THEY CAN, AND YOU KNOW, I I I WANT TO PROTECT THE CITIZENS OF THE CITY.

SO THE PEOPLE IN YELLOW YEAH, GO FOR IT.

BUT THE PEOPLE IN THE ETJ, YOU KNOW, I, I, I, YOU KNOW, I, I REALLY, YOU KNOW, TIMES HAVE CHANGED.

THE STATE LAWS HAVE CHANGED.

THE, THE STATE GOVERNMENT HAS FORCED US AS A CITY TO LOOK ON THINGS DIFFERENTLY.

AND SO NOW I HAVE TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES BEFORE US, YOU KNOW, DO WE DO THINGS THAT BEFORE, YOU KNOW, TWO OR THREE YEARS BEFORE, LIKE, YEAH, SURE, WE'LL DO THAT.

NOT A PROBLEM.

BUT NOW THEY, THEY PICK UP THEIR TOYS AND LEAVE TOWN, YOU KNOW, SO THESE ARE THINGS THAT I CONSIDER, BUT MY RECOMMENDATION IS GO 400 FEET INSTEAD OF 200, AND THEN WE NEED TO DO THAT GEOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE SOIL TYPES AND THE EROSION RATES, AND SPEND THE MONEY THAT'S NEEDED TO DO IT.

OTHERWISE, THERE'S LIKE, WHY BOTHER? BUT THOSE ARE MY TWO RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE, FOR THIS THING TO IMPROVE IT.

AND, AND WE DEFINITELY LOOKED AT THOSE CONSIDERATIONS AND, YOU KNOW, WE, AND WE, UM, AS I MENTIONED, WE LOOKED AT, YOU KNOW, SHOULD WE DO A STUDY LIKE THIS? I MEAN, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE JUST NOT SEEING MOVEMENT OF THAT MAGNITUDE.

I, I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND, I MEAN THAT THIS IS MY, YOU KNOW, MY, MY JUDGMENT, BUT ABSOLUTELY THE RIGHT TO, TO PUT THAT IN YOUR RECOMMENDATION.

BUT, BUT THAT, THAT'S PROBABLY WELL BEYOND WHAT WE'RE EXPECTING, UH, GIVEN THAT WE HAVE MANSFIELD DAM AND JUST MUCH MORE FLOW CONTROL.

I, I UNDERSTAND.

YEP.

ANYTHING ELSE? SECOND? COMMISSIONER BRIER.

UH, WELL, I GUESS I SHOULD MOVE THAT WE CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING SECOND.

SECONDED BY RESI.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HANDS.

CO FIRST RESI BEDFORD BRISTOL SULLIVAN BRIMER.

MOTION PASSES.

DO WE HAVE A MOTION? MM-HMM, , WE'RE STILL WORKING.

[01:25:16]

UM, THANKS FOR WAITING.

UM, NOVEMBER 6TH, 2024, UH, SUBJECT C 20 DASH 2 22 DASH 25, LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AMENDMENT TO TITLE 25 DASH SEVEN DRAINAGE.

UH, WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION UNDERSTANDS THIS ORDINANCE ORDINANCE, IT IS IN RESPONSE TO COUNSEL'S RESOLUTION NUMBER 2 0 2 2 6 9 0 6 1, WHICH INITIATED LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AMENDMENTS RELATED TO ENVIRONMENTAL DRAINAGE AND LANDSCAPE REQUIREMENTS.

AND WHEREAS THE PROPOSED CODE CHANGES WOULD REVISE TWO FIVE DASH SEVEN DASH 32 B AND TWO, UH, TO ESTABLISH THE EROSION HAZARD ZONE OF THE COLORADO RIVER DOWNSTREAM OF LONGHORN DAM AS 200 FEET FROM THE ORDINATE ORDINARY HIGH WATER MARK WITH, UH, EXCEPTIONS FOR TRAILS AND BOUNDED BY PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAYS AND ONLY AFFECTING NEW HABITABLE STRUCTURES AND, AND SUBSURFACE INFRASTRUCTURES.

AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION WAS GIVEN A PRESENTATION ON STAFF'S RECOMMENDATIONS, THEREFORE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION SUPPORTS THE STAFF'S RECOMMENDATIONS WITH THE FOLLOWING REQUEST.

NUMBER ONE, CREATE A DATA MAP OF A GEOLOGICAL OR GEOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF SOIL TYPES AND EROSION RATES.

AND TO INCREASE THE EROSION HAZARD, ITS ZONE FROM 200 TO 400 FEET.

OH, THOUGHT I JUST HAD , I'M SORRY.

READY? I HAD A REALLY NERDY COMMENT ON THAT.

I THINK IT, DID YOU SAY SUBSURFACE INFRASTRUCTURE? I THINK WE HAD SOME LANGUAGE IN THAT EARLIER, AND ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES SAID, WAIT, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, ROADS OR SURFACE.

SO IT WOULD JUST BE INFRASTRUCTURE.

PROBABLY WOULD BE, YOU COULD TAKE THE SUBSURFACE OUT.

IT'S BOTH.

THANKS.

THAT'S IN YOUR BACKUP.

SO THAT'S WHERE THAT CAME FROM.

FROM, YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT WAS OUR, THAT WAS, TAKE THAT OUT.

SOME WE PICKED, WE CORRECTED LATER.

APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.

YEAH, I WAS WONDERING HOW YOU HAD A HABIT HABITABLE UNDERGROUND.

THAT WAS YOUR WORDS UNDER UNDERGROUND HOMES.

UM, OKAY, SO WE HAVE A SECOND.

WELL, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT IT.

SO YOU MENTIONED, YOU, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT PROJECTS THAT REQUIRED A SITE PLAN.

SO WHY DON'T YOU USE THAT LANGUAGE? I, I CAN, UM, DO YOU WANT ME TO PUT THAT IN A REQUEST? WHAT, WHAT, WHAT DID YOU SAY? YOU SAID, YEAH.

COULD YOU READ IT AGAIN? YEAH.

ON THE WHERE OFS YEAH.

AND THIS COMES RIGHT FROM THEIR MATERIALS, RIGHT? YEAH.

UH, THE PROPOSED CA CODE CHANGE WOULD, AND I QUOTE, REVISE TWO FIVE DASH SEVEN DASH 32 B TWO TO ESTABLISH THE EROSION HAZARD ZONE OF THE COLORADO RIVER DOWNSTREAM OF LONGHORN DAM AS 200 FEET FROM THE ORDINARY HIGH WATER MART WITH THE EXCEPTIONS OF TRAILS AND BOUNDED BY PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY AND ONLY AFFECTING NEW HABITABLE STRUCTURES AND INFRASTRUCTURE.

SO NEW HABITABLE STRUCTURES.

IT'S, IT, IT, IT'S SITE PLANS AND BUILDING PERMITS IS WHERE WE WOULD HAVE THE REVIEW ASSOCIATED WITH THIS.

SO, UM, 'CAUSE HOMES DON'T NEED SITE PLANS, BUT THEY DO GET BUILDING PERMITS, AND SO THEY WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, NEW HOMES OR NEW ADDITIONS TO HOMES.

SO, I'M NOT, NOT QUITE SURE HOW TO SAY THAT, BUT THAT'S, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF WE NECESSARILY NEED TO SAY WHAT IT AFFECTS IN THE RESOLUTION.

JUST A THOUGHT.

AND NOT A BIG DEAL.

BUT PER COMMISSIONER ER'S STATEMENT QUESTION ABOUT THE SOFT TRAILS, YOU MIGHT PUT HARD SURFACE TRAILS IN THERE FOR THE TRAIL PART.

A SITE PLAN OR, YOU KNOW, PROJECTS.

SO I'M GOING BACK AND I'M AMENDING AN MOTION, A MOTION LANGUAGE, SO I JUST HAVE TO GET CLARITY ON THAT.

SORRY, THAT'S HARD.

REALLY QUICK.

UM, I'M JUST GONNA SAY I'M DOING IT.

ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS TO AMENDING IT? THERE WE GO.

SO WE'LL GO WITH, UM, SURFACE, UM, TRAILS, AND THEN OF COURSE, OBVIOUSLY THIS IS COMING FROM Y'ALL'S BACKUP MATERIAL, SO PLEASE CHANGE IT ACCORDINGLY.

AND THEN I'M ADDING A PIECE DOWN HERE THAT WE CLARIFY HOW SET SITE PLANS WOULD BE INCLUDED.

SORRY, SAY LANGUAGE OF THE SITE PLANS.

WHAT, WHAT, OR PROJECTS THAT REQUIRE

[01:30:01]

SINGLE FAMILY DOES NOT REQUIRE A SITE PLAN.

MULTIFAMILY, COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL, ALL REQUIRE SITE PLANS OR APPLICABLE PERMITS, YOU COULD SAY YES.

ARE YOU, ARE YOU TRYING TO, COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN, ARE YOU TRYING TO APPLY THIS ONLY TO THE KITE PLAN ONES AND THEN NOT, NOT THE 400 TO THE, TO THE BUILDING PERMIT ONES? IS THAT WHERE THAT WAS? WELL, I MEAN, THAT WAS THE MESSAGE THAT YOU WERE, YOU WERE PRESENTING.

THAT'S HOW I INTERPRETED WHAT YOU WERE TELLING US.

BUT YOU WOULDN'T APPLY IT FOR SINGLE FAMILY SUBDIVISIONS.

YOU WOULD APPLY IT FOR MULTI-FAMILY, COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL.

WELL, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR RECOMMENDATION IS JUST THE 200 FOOT ONE, BUT YES, IT WOULD, UM, BUT IT, IT APPLIES TO ANY OF THOSE, ANY, ANYTHING THAT'S IN THERE.

IT'S JUST THAT THOSE OTHER ONES ARE ALREADY PUSHED BACK BY THE CRITICAL ZONE ALREADY, SO THEY JUST, IT DOESN'T COME UP VERY OFTEN.

IS THE, IS THE MAIN THING.

IT'S NOT THAT WE, IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO NOT AFFECT THEM, IT'S JUST THEY DON'T YEAH.

IT'S JUST NOT A, NOT A NOT IN A PICTURE.

SO SHOULD WE SAY ANY NEW DEVELOPMENT THEN? SURE.

YEAH, THAT SOUNDS GOOD.

APPLICABLE PERMITS, I THINK IS WHAT WE WOULD WANNA SAY.

SO, SO WHAT I WROTE, THANK YOU, UH, MR. SULLIVAN FOR THAT.

UH, CLARIFY HOW PROJECTS THAT REQUIRE SITE PLANS AND APPLICABLE PERMITS WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE CODE THAT SOUND ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE THINKING, THESE GUYS HAVE TO KNOW.

YEAH, THAT WORKS.

WELL.

THIS IS UNDER OURS, SO THIS IS FOR US, SO SURE.

AND THIS IS A RECOMMENDATION GOING FORWARD, YOU KNOW, LAW WILL SEE IT.

UM, PLANNING COMMISSION WILL SEE IT, AND YEAH, WE CAN, YEAH.

I HAVE A CLARIFICATION QUESTION.

SORRY.

UH, THE, ARE WE REQUESTING 400 FEET EVEN THOUGH WATERSHED PROTECTION STAFF LOOKED AT THAT AND IS NOT RECOMMENDING IT? YES.

WE HAVE PUBLIC HEARINGS AND ACTION ITEMS. UM, A PRESENTATION DISCUSSION, A RECOMMENDATION ON AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND HAYES INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS? OKAY, LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION AS WRITTEN, RAISE YOUR HAND.

WE HAVE SHERA, FER, RESI, BEDFORD, BRISTOL, SULLIVAN, AND BRIMER.

[3. Presentation, discussion, and recommendation on an Interlocal Agreement between the City of Austin and Hays Independent School District – Jacob Eickstead, Watershed Protection Department, Jacob.Eickstead@austintexas.gov]

AND WE HAVE A PRESENTATION BY JACOB XAD.

HELLO.

HI, I'M JACOB XAD, ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM COORDINATOR, CITY OF AUSTIN.

UM, TODAY, TONIGHT I WILL BE, UH, GIVING A PRESENTATION AND THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT FOR THE HAYES, ISD, UH, A HAYES ISD IS, UH, REQUESTING WE HAVE A INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT, WHICH IS AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND ANY GOVERNMENT ENTITY THAT ESTABLISHES OR MODIFIES REGULATION FOR DEVELOPMENT.

UM, YOU GO AHEAD AND CHANGE THE NEXT SLIDE.

THANK, UM, HAYES, ISD IS, UH, PROPOSING THIS ILA, UH, FOR 93.2 ACRES.

UH, IT'S ADJACENT, BUT NOT IN THE SUN FIELD.

P UM, YOU MIGHT REMEMBER THE SUN FIELD PUD FROM, UH, A FEW WEEKS AGO.

UH, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS REQUESTING THIS, UH, FOR DEV FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A HIGH SCHOOL.

UH, NEXT SLIDE.

I MENTIONED, IT IS ON THE FAR SOUTH PART OF OUR TERRITORIES.

UH, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, THIS IS, UH, THE LOCATION OF IT.

IT IS NOT WITHIN THE, UM, EDWARDS AQUIFER RECHARGE ZONE.

IT IS JUST EAST OF I 35 AND JUST SOUTH OF THE TOLL ROAD 45 AND TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, RIGHT AT THE FOREST SOUTHERN END OF OUR, UH, IT'S ACTUALLY NOT IN THE ETJ, IT'S IN THE LIMITED, UH, PURPOSE AREA.

IT'S IN THE FAR SOUTHERN END OF THE CITY LIMITS.

UM, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

SO, UM, THIS IS THE GENERAL SITE CONDITIONS.

SO, UM, YOU CAN SEE THE SUN FIELD PUT IS ACTUALLY SURROUNDING THIS, AND WEST AND NORTH AND A LITTLE BIT SOUTH OF THIS PROPERTY.

UM, THE PROPERTY IS HIGHLIGHTED IN RED.

UH, THERE IS NO, UM, THERE ARE NO, UH, CRITICAL WATER QUALITY FEATURES WITHIN THIS PROPERTY.

THERE'S NO, UH, CEFS CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES, SORRY, AND NO CRITICAL WATER QUALITY ZONES WITHIN THIS, UH, PROPERTY.

UM, AS IT SAYS HERE, AND AS

[01:35:01]

IT'S IN THE SUBURBAN WATERSHED.

UM, IT IS IN THE PLUM CREEK AND REINER CREEK WATERSHED.

UM, THERE IS NOT ANY FLOODPLAINS ON THE PROPERTY AS WELL, BUT THEY ARE CLOSE AS YOU CAN SEE, BUT THEY ARE NOT ON THE ACTUAL PROPERTY.

PRESENTATION NEXT, UH, LESLIE LILY WATERSHED PROTECTION.

UM, WE CAN GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

SO HERE IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL EXHIBIT FOR THIS PROPOSAL.

UM, WE HAVE BASICALLY THIS, IF, IF YOU, UH, PICTURE IT IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE IS, UH, NORTH IS THAT DIRECTION.

UM, AND IT IS, YOU KNOW, SO IF YOU FLIP IT OVER 90 DEGREES COUNTERCLOCKWISE, UM, YOU WOULD HAVE HOW IT WOULD LOOKED BEFORE.

UM, THE ROAD THAT IS ON THE NORTH IS NOT CURRENTLY, UH, BUILT, BUT WILL BE BUILT AS PART OF THIS PROCESS.

UM, THIS ENVIRONMENTAL EXHIBIT, WHICH I'LL GO INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, IT DOES ACTUALLY HAVE TRAILS THAT WILL CONNECT TO THE SUN FIELD P UM, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE, THE ACTUAL SCHOOL BUILDING IS RIGHT THERE IN THE MIDDLE, UM, WITH THE FIELDS MORE ON THE SOUTHERN END, UH, LOOKS, OR ON MY LEFT, YOUR LEFT AS WELL.

UH, AND, AND, AND THE FIELD, THE FOOTBALL FIELD RIGHT THERE IN THE MIDDLE.

SO IT IS, IT HAS, UH, POCKET PRAIRIE AREAS AND, AND, UH, SOME MORE, UH, NATURAL AREAS ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL.

AND WE CAN GO AHEAD INTO THE NEXT SLIDE.

UH, SO FOR THIS, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL MODIFICATION FOR THE, THE ILA, THEY'RE REQUESTING A, UH, A VARIANCE ON, UH, SECTION 25 8 3 41, WHICH IS A MODIFICATION TO ALLOW CUT TO EXCEED FOUR FEET, UP TO 20 FEET TO ALLOW FOR CONSTRUCTION WITHIN THE AREA OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL EXHIBIT.

UH, AND AS WELL, SECTION 25 8 3 4 2, UH, WHICH MODIFIES THE FILL, UH, TO EXCEED FOUR FEET UP TO 20 FEET FOR THE CONSTRUCTION IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL EXHIBIT.

IT ALSO HAS SECTION 25 8 360 3, UH, WHICH IS MODIFIED TO ALLOW ARTIFICIAL TURF TO BE CONSIDERED, UH, PREVIOUS COVER, UM, STAFF RECOMMENDATION.

AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THE SMALL HANDWRITING HERE, BUT, UM, WE DID HAVE A LOT OF THINGS THAT NEEDED TO PUT IN HERE.

AND, UH, SO, UM, THIS IS THE LIST OF THE ITEMS THAT COME ALONG WITH THE RECOMMENDATION.

SO STAFF DOES RECOMMEND THE APPROVAL OF THIS HAYES, I-S-D-I-L-A, BUT WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS, UM, A MINIMUM OF FOUR EDUCATIONAL AND INTERPRETIVE SIGNS THAT WILL BE INSTALLED ON THE CAMPUS, UH, WITH LOCATIONS TO BE IDENTIFIED IN THE SITE PLAN TO BE, UH, SUBMITTED AT A LATER DATE.

UM, APPROXIMATELY, UH, 500,000 SQUARE FEET OF PRAIRIE HABITAT RESTORATION WILL BE PROVIDED USING NATIVE PRAIRIE SPECIES, UH, NATIVE SOILS AND HABITAT ENHANCEMENTS.

UM, ALL THE PLANT MATERIAL WILL BE A HUNDRED PERCENT NATIVE OR ADAPTED SPECIES AND SELECTED FROM EXHIBIT B OF THEIR, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL EXHIBIT.

UM, THE PROJECT WILL PROVIDE A MINIMUM OF, OF TWO VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS AND 80 BICYCLE PARKING SPOTS.

UH, RAINWATER AND AC CON CONDENSATE WILL BE COLLECTED AND USED FOR LANDSCAPE IRRIGATION.

THE PROJECT WILL COMPLY WITH BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN STANDARDS BY MEETING THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING CRITERIA, AND FOR LIGHT PRODUCTION REDUCTION FOR BIRD COLLISION.

IT ALSO PROVIDE AN INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT, INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PLAN.

UH, THE DISTURBED TOP SOIL WILL BE STOCKPILED AND ONSITE AND UTILIZED, UH, FOR PLANTING AREAS FOR, SO SHRUB PLANTINGS AND SEEDING AREAS AND DETENTION PONDS WILL BE DESIGNED FOR FULLY VEGETATED CONDITIONS AND INTEGRATED INTO THE LANDSCAPE TO PROVIDE, UH, FOR EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AS SHOWN ON THE PREVIOUS ENVIRONMENTAL EXHIBIT.

UM, SO THAT, THAT IS BASICALLY AND WENT THROUGH PRETTY QUICKLY, BUT THAT IS THE PRESENTATION OF, OF OUR STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION.

UM, BUT I PLEASE OPEN UP FOR QUESTIONS.

IS THERE A PRESENTATION FOR THE, UM, PAYS OR NO? OKAY.

ABSOLUTELY.

LET'S GO AHEAD AND HAVE, UH, THAT

[01:40:01]

UM, JUST ONE MODIFICATION IS THE VARIANCE SAID THE CUT FILL WOULD BE UP TO 20 FEET, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY 15 FEET.

WE'LL UPDATE THE PRESENTATION AND ADD THAT, UH, TO THE BACKUP TO, TO CORRECT THAT NUMBER.

THANK YOU, MS. LOLLY.

SORRY, I HAVE, YEAH, UH, YOU CAN SIT HERE.

HEY, UM, MY NAME IS LEXI ENGLAND.

I AM WITH KIMLEY HORN, AND I'M THE CIVIL ENGINEER ON THE PROJECT, UH, REPRESENTING THE HAYES CONSOLIDATED, ISD WE'RE PULLING UP THE PRESENTATION IN GENERAL, WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT, UM, WE HAVE BEEN, UH, WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL STAFF TO TRY AND COME UP WITH, UM, THESE PROPOSED ENHANCEMENTS, UM, AND REALLY TAKING IT AS A ESSENTIAL TEACHING OPPORTUNITY FOR THE STUDENTS ON SITE, UM, AND TRYING TO INTEGRATE AS MUCH MANY OF THESE ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES.

UM, SO IT'S, YEAH, REALLY TRYING TO OPTIMIZE FEATURES THAT BOTH, UM, PRIORITIZE PROTECTION OF THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND CAN BE USED AS A TEACHING OPPORTUNITY.

UM, YEAH, I CAN JUST GO AHEAD TO THE FIRST SLIDE.

UM, HERE'S, HERE'S THAT EXHIBIT AGAIN, I JUST WANNA TALK OVER.

WE'VE GOT, UM, SO THE GREEN AREAS SPECIFICALLY ARE WHAT WE'RE CALLING THESE, UM, POCKET PRAIRIES.

AND, UH, THE DARK GREEN IS, UM, WHERE WE WILL BE USING THE, ANY TOP SOIL THAT'S BEING TAKEN FROM THE SITE.

WE WILL, UM, KEEP ALL NATIVE SOILS ON, ON SITE IN ORDER TO CREATE NATURAL LAND FORMS, UM, AND CREATE A TRAIL SYSTEM, WHICH YOU CAN SEE IN THE BLUE DASH LINE.

UM, IN GENERAL, THE YELLOW AREAS ARE, UM, AREAS THAT ARE NOT TO BE DISTURBED AND TO BE PRESERVED IN THEIR NATURAL CONDITION AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

UM, OBVIOUSLY WE'VE GOT THE BIG, UM, AREA TO THE, UM, NORTH, WHICH IS, UH, CLAN, UM, RIGHT ON THERE.

UM, SO THAT WAS THE BIGGEST OPPORTUNITY TO DEDICATE SPACE.

AND THEN THE AREA THAT'S UP IN THE TOP LEFT IS ALSO, UM, A DRAINAGE PATH.

SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME PONDS IN THERE, AND IT'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR SOME RICH SOILS AND SOME RICH ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURE.

AND THAT ALSO CONNECTS TO THE, UH, SUN FIELD P UH, REGIONAL TRAIL SYSTEM.

GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

SO YOU CAN SEE HERE, UH, THIS IS THE LAND USE PLAN FOR THE SUN FIELD P UM, AND, UM, FOR THEIR RECENT AMENDMENT.

AND WE HAVE COORDINATED, UM, THEY'VE GOT TRAILS SHOWN ON THERE AS WELL.

IT'S KIND OF HARD TO SEE, BUT IN A SIMILAR BLUE DASH LINE.

SO WE JUST COORDINATED THE TRAILS THAT THEY'RE PROPOSING SO THAT WE ARE CONNECTING TO THEIR SYSTEM.

UM, THERE'S ALSO, OBVIOUSLY NEIGHBORHOODS NEARBY IN THE SUN FIELD NEIGHBORHOOD, OR, UH, YEAH, SUN FIELD DEVELOPMENT.

AND SO IT'S A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS THE SITE, UM, VIA TRAILS.

UM, WE'RE CLOSE BY.

UM, HERE'S THAT PLANT LIST, THAT EXHIBIT B THAT'S REFERENCED.

UM, WE, UM, HAVE COORDINATED THIS LIST WITH STAFF.

UM, IN GENERAL, THERE GOING TO BE, UH, NATIVE TREES AND SHRUBS.

UM, ANY EXCEPTIONS FROM THIS LIST WILL BE, UM, AS APPROVED BY CITY STAFF AND ARBORIST, UM, WHEN WE SUBMIT FOR SITE PLAN.

UM, SLIDE.

YEAH, HERE'S AGAIN, UH, IT'S THE SAME LIST.

UM, I DON'T HAVE TO REREAD THEM FOR YOU GUYS, BUT, UM, YEAH.

SO A BIG ASPECT OF THIS LIST IS THE SIGNAGE.

UM, SO WE ARE INITIALLY GOING TO PROVIDE A MINIMUM OF FOUR SIGNAGE LOCATIONS FOR THE, UM, RAINWATER HARVESTING, UH, FOR THE POCKET PRAIRIES.

AND, UM, THE ACTUAL TEXT OF THE ILA WILL REQUIRE THAT WE HAVE TEMPORARY SIGNS IN PLACE BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO HAVE THE STUDENTS,

[01:45:01]

UM, AS A PART OF A PROJECT, UH, WORK ON PERMANENT SIGNAGE.

AGAIN, JUST SHOWS THE DISTRICT IS REALLY EXCITED ABOUT, UM, INTEGRATING THESE FEATURES INTO THE SITE.

AND THE CURRICULUM, UM, THAT 500,000 SQUARE FEET OF PRAIRIE HABITAT IS, UM, IS ABOUT WHAT'S SHOWN ON THE, THE EXHIBIT.

AND, UM, AND WE ARE WORKING, UH, IT'S, UH, ON BALANCING THE SITE AS BEST AS POSSIBLE AND KEEPING ALL NATIVE SOILS ON, ON THE SITE.

HERE IS AN EXHIBIT SHOWING OUR CUT FILL.

UM, THE DARKEST RED AND DARKEST PURPLE AREAS ARE AREAS OF THE SITE THAT ARE JUST NOT FEASIBLE TO BE BELOW THE, UM, STANDARD CODE EIGHT FOOT LIMIT, WHICH IS WHY WE ARE, UM, PROPOSING A CODE MODIFICATION WITH THE ILA.

UM, IT'S, UM, GOT SOME BIG BUILDINGS ON THE SITE AND BIG FIELDS, WHICH JUST, UH, YOU CAN SEE THERE'S A LOT OF GRADE ON THE SITE, AND SO IT'S JUST NOT FEASIBLE TO HAVE FLAT FIELDS ACCESSIBLE.

WE'VE GOT A DA ACCESSIBILITY ALL AROUND THE SITE, SO THAT'S NOT REALLY CONDUCIVE TO HAVING SEVEN FOOT SLOPED, UM, PLAZAS.

UH, WE DID EVALUATE, UM, FOUR DIFFERENT SITE CONFIGURATIONS, UH, AND PRESENTED THEM TO STAFF AS WELL.

UM, AND I MEAN, WE'VE SPENT MONTHS TRYING TO, UH, MINIMIZE THE CUT FILL THAT WE'RE PROPOSING.

AND, UM, AND REALLY TO AGAIN, BALANCE THE SITE AND MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE KEEPING ANY NATIVE SOILS ON SITE.

UM, EVEN THIS PROPOSED PLAN DOES INCLUDE A LOT OF WALLS.

IT DOES INCLUDE SOME FOUNDATION DROPS, UM, BUT WE THINK THAT WE HAVE FOUND, UH, A PRETTY GOOD BALANCE BETWEEN, UM, MINIMIZING CUT FILL AND STILL MAINTAINING THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE SITE.

UM, THE SITE LAYOUT IS VERY COOL.

UM, ONE OF THE SITING FEATURES WITH THIS LAYOUT IS YOU CAN SEE THAT THE, THE STADIUM IS IN THE CENTER OF THE BUILDINGS, AND WHAT THAT DOES IS IT, UM, IT KIND OF MINIMIZES THE OVERALL SITE FOOTPRINT, WHICH DOES PREVENT UNNECESSARY, UM, DEVELOPMENT AND DISTURBANCE OF THE EXISTING SOILS.

IT ALSO, UH, ALLOWS THE SITE TO BE A BIT MORE COMPACT.

UM, THIS IS A SITE FOR 2,800 STUDENTS AND THE TYPICAL, UM, HAZE, ISD, UM, HIGH SCHOOL WOULD BE ON SITE ABOUT A HUNDRED ACRES.

AND THIS DEVELOPMENT IS ABOUT 70.

SO, UM, IT DOES OBVIOUSLY MINIMIZE OUR IMPACT IN THE NATURAL BED ENVIRONMENT TO HAVE THE TIGHTENED FOOTPRINT.

UM, IT ALSO IS MUCH MORE ACCESSIBLE.

KIDS CAN GET EASILY FROM CLASS TO CLASS, AND IT ALLOWS, UM, WHICH IS VERY UNIQUE, UM, THE FOOTBALL FIELD TO BE USED AS A MULTIPURPOSE SPACE.

SO KIDS CAN GO OUT AND HAVE THEIR SCIENCE CLASSROOMS THAT ARE RIGHT ON THIS BIG COURTYARD SPACE AND THEY CAN DO EXPERIMENTS OUT IN THE FIELD.

UM, THEY CAN ALSO, YEAH, PASS THROUGH, ENJOY THE OUTDOORS.

TYPICALLY A FOOTBALL FIELD IS OUT, UM, OF THE SECURE PERIMETER AND JUST, UH, NOT AS INTEGRATED INTO THE SITE.

AND SO BY CONCENTRATING THE SITE AND INTEGRATING IT, UM, AROUND THIS COURTYARD, UH, AND FOOTBALL FIELDS, UM, IT'S ABLE TO FEEL A BIT MORE NATURAL WHILE, WHILE KEEPING STUDENTS SAFE.

UM, HERE'S ONE OF THE RENDERINGS, UM, OF THE PLANNED SCHOOL.

UM, YOU CAN SEE IT'S A FEW STORIES HIGH.

UH, IT'S SERVING, UM, YEAH, 2,800 STUDENT.

THANKS.

UM, HERE'S ANOTHER RENDERING THAT SHOWS HOW THIS FOOTBALL FIELD IS INCORPORATED WITH THE, THE CLASSROOMS AND IN THE SCHOOL.

UM, THE BLEACHERS THERE ALSO GO UP TO DIFFERENT, UM, LIKE AV ROOMS WHERE THEY HAVE, UH, BROADCASTING PROGRAMS. UM, JUST IT'S ALL VERY WELL INTEGRATED.

UH, NEXT SLIDE.

UH, ANOTHER BIG CONSIDERATION IS SECURITY ON HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUSES.

UM, A BENEFIT OF THIS LAYOUT, UH, YOU CAN SEE THE RED LINE AROUND THE SECURITY PERIMETER IS, UH, IS BUILDING, AND BLUE IS FENCING.

SO SOME HIGH SCHOOLS THAT ARE BUILT, UM, END UP KIND OF HAVING A PRISON VIBE IF YOU HAVE TO HAVE A BIG, UH, PERIMETER FENCE.

[01:50:01]

AND I THINK THAT'S THE LAST, BUT YEAH.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

UM, WE DON'T HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATION ON THIS, I DON'T THINK.

UM, LET'S OPEN IT UP TO, FOR QUESTIONS.

VICE CHAIR, FER, COMMISSIONER SHIRA, NO QUESTIONS.

LOOKS LIKE A VERY NICE HIGH SCHOOL COMMISSIONER, RESI.

HEY, Y'ALL APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.

UM, YOU KNOW, I ACTUALLY WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL IN HAYES COUNTY MYSELF, SO DEFINITELY GETTING A KICK OUT OF SEEING A HAYES COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL IN THE CITY LIMITS.

UH, BOY, THE TOWN HAS GROWN.

UH, YOU KNOW, SOME QUESTIONS I HAVE SORT OF BASED ON MY OWN EXPERIENCE FROM BEING IN A HIGH SCHOOL OUT IN THE, THE BURBS OR THE BOONIES AS SOME LIKE TO SAY IS, UH, YOU KNOW, I NOTICED LIKE THE, THE TRAIL SYSTEM THAT Y'ALL HAVE, UH, IT KIND OF GOES ON LIKE THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THEY'RE LIKE SOME ARROWS.

I WAS WONDERING IF THAT MEANS LIKE THE TRAIL EXTENDS OR LIKE, ARE WE GOING TO HAVE LIKE BIKE LANES ON THESE ROADS? BECAUSE THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE GOOD, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR MICRO MOBILITY IF THIS IS, YOU KNOW, GONNA BE A GATHERING PLACE FOR STUDENTS SORT OF AT ALL TIMES OR THE DAY, NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, WHEN SCHOOL IS IN THAT, PLUS IT IS HIGH SCHOOL TOO, RIGHT? EVERYONE'S ALWAYS CUTTING CLASS, EVERYONE'S HANGING OUT AT VARIOUS, UH, GAS STATIONS AND GETTING INTO ALL KINDS OF MISCHIEF, RIGHT? SO, UH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO PROTECT THE KIDS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, UH, IN ADDITION TO JUST HAVING FENCES.

FENCES ARE NICE, BUT BIKE TRAILS ARE NICE TOO.

UH, BIKE LANES.

UH, SO I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD GIVE SOME MORE, UH, SORT OF INFORMATION ABOUT THAT.

AND THEN ALSO TOO, I WAS WONDERING ABOUT LIKE NEARBY BUS STOPS.

SO WHERE I LIVE IN WINDSOR PARK, UH, THEY GOT RID OF LIKE THE CAP METRO BUS STOPS NEAR SOME OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.

UM, AND IT KIND OF LIKE HINDERS MOBILITY 'CAUSE YOU'RE JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, SHOULDN'T YOU HAVE PUBLIC TRANSIT NEAR LIKE A PUBLIC SPACE LIKE A SCHOOL? AND AGAIN, ESPECIALLY WITH A HIGH SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, I WOULD UNDERSTAND IF IT WAS NOT IN THE ETJ OR SOMETHING, BUT THIS IS IN THE CITY LIMITS AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND.

SO HAVING A CAP METRO STOP NEAR THE HIGH SCHOOL MAY MAKE SENSE AS FAR AS LIKE, AGAIN, GIVING KIDS THE ABILITY TO ACCESS THE SPACE BEYOND JUST HAVING A SCHOOL BUS, PICK THEM UP AND, AND DROP THEM OFF.

AND, UH, YEAH, THOSE WERE MY TWO QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.

SO THIS IS A GROWING AREA AND WE ARE, UM, COORDINATING CLOSELY WITH, UM, THE DEVELOPERS OF THE SUN FIELD POD, UM, INCLUDING TO CONNECT TO BIKE LANES AND SYSTEMS, UH, THAT ARE GONNA GO ALONG THE PROPOSED MAIN STREET.

UM, THE, THE SCHOOL, UH, WANTS TO PURSUE ITS SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL, WHICH, UM, ENCOURAGES ALTERNATIVE, UM, MODES OF TRANSPORTATION.

AND THERE'S, UH, THERE'S REQUIREMENTS TO MEET, UM, IN ORDER TO ENTER THAT PROGRAM.

SO WE'RE DEFINITELY PURSUING THAT.

UM, NOT AWARE OF PUBLIC, UM, TRANSPORTATION ROUTES THAT CURRENTLY GO THROUGH THIS AREA.

UM, OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE, UM, SCHOOL BUSES THAT WE'LL BE GOING AND WE'RE, UM, ACCOMMODATING THOSE.

'CAUSE YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES TAKING PUBLIC TRANSIT, I, UH, END UP HAVING TO BE, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE I LIVE ON THE EAST SIDE, SO LIKE, YOU KNOW, AT LBJ OR, OR NORTHEAST OR SOME OTHER THING WAITING FOR LIKE A TRANSFER AND THERE'S ALWAYS LIKE SOME RANDOM GROUP OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AT THE BUS STOP, RIGHT? SO I THINK PROVIDING THAT, UH, THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR KIDS TO MOVE AROUND OBVIOUSLY IN A WAY WHERE THEY'RE NOT BEING, YOU KNOW, ABSENT OR WHATEVER THE, THE TERM IS DELINQUENT, RIGHT? BUT, UH, I THINK IT'S JUST LIKE A GOOD OVERALL PUBLIC SERVICE TO HAVE.

COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN.

YEAH, I I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY, UH, CAP METRO SERVICE SOUTH OF STATE HIGHWAY 45.

NO, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.

COMMISSIONER BRIMER, I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BUT THEY WERE GONNA NAME THE SCHOOL AFTER YOU, UH, RESI EXCEPT FOR .

YOU, YOU LISTED ALL THE THINGS YOU DID WHEN YOU WERE IN HIGH SCHOOL.

LISTEN, MAN, THEY CALLED, THEY CALLED ME HARRIS.

THEY CALLED ME HARRIS, THE TERRORIST IN HIGH SCHOOL.

I DON'T THINK I'M GETTING ANYTHING NAMED AFTER ME IN HAYES COUNTY ANYTIME SOON.

SECRETARY, BRISTOL.

I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, UM, AND UM, I'M SO HAPPY TO KNOW YOUR NICKNAME NOW, COMMISSIONER.

UM, OKAY.

SO, UM, UH, THANK YOU FOR SHARING, UH, WHERE THE FENCE

[01:55:01]

WILL GO.

AND THEN, SO, UM, UH, WHICH KIND OF BRINGS ME TO ONE OF MY QUESTIONS.

UM, WHAT PART OF THE AREA OF THE SCHOOL, LIKE, LIKE THAT'S NOT WITHIN THE FENCED AREA, IS THAT OPEN TO THE PUBLIC? CAN THAT BE USED AS PARKLAND AS WELL? SO THE TRAILS THAT WE HAVE SHOWN, WE ARE PLANNING TO DEDICATE TRAIL EASEMENTS, UM, SO THAT THEY CAN CONNECT TO THE BENFIELD PED, UM, TRAIL SYSTEM.

UM, IT'S, THE FINAL LIMITS OF THOSE EASEMENTS ARE TO BE DIFFERENT DETERMINED.

AND THEN, UM, YOU MENTIONED HAVING SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL, WHICH I HIGHLY SUPPORT.

UM, IS THERE ANY CHANCE HIGH IN THE SKY THAT THAT COULD BE AN UNDERGROUND PASSAGE OR AN ABOVEGROUND PASSAGE? I WOULD PREFER UNDERGROUND PASSAGE, UM, TO GET KIDS TO AND FROM THERE, SO THEY'RE NOT CROSSING ON THE SURFACE AND INTERFACING WITH THE CARS.

SO THE NICE THING IS, UH, THE TRAIL SYSTEMS THAT ARE CONNECTING ON KIND OF THE BACKSIDE OF THE SITE ARE GOING DIRECT TO, UM, SMALLER NEIGHBORHOODS.

UM, SO STUDENTS THAT, THAT COME TO THE SITE THROUGH THERE AREN'T NEEDING TO CROSS MAJOR ROADS.

UM, I KNOW THERE, THERE ARE SOME CROSSINGS PLANNED FOR, UM, THE MAIN STREET IMPROVEMENTS, WHICH ARE UNDER THE, UH, SEPARATE PERMIT WITH THE SUN FIELD P UM, YEAH.

UH, NO, NO UNDERGROUND CROSSINGS PLANNED AT THIS, THIS TIME.

THERE'S NOT MUCH ON THE OTHER SIDE OF TURNERSVILLE CURRENTLY.

UH, THANK YOU.

AND, UM, YOU MENTIONED, UM, USING THE SPORTS FIELD, UH, AS A OUTDOOR CLASSROOM, NOT EXACTLY AN OUTDOOR CLASSROOM FOR ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, LESSONS.

I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S AN AN AREA THAT WILL BE DEDICATED, UM, OR COULD BE DEDICATED ON THE CAMPUS THAT WOULD BE A TRUE ACTUAL OUTDOOR LEARNING ENVIRONMENT.

YEAH, SO THE, UM, THE POCKET PRAIRIES THAT WE HAVE SHOWN, UM, WE'RE THIS, WE'RE INTEGRATING SIGNAGE IN THOSE AREAS.

UM, WE'RE ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, GONNA HAVE A POLLINATOR AND BIRD FRIENDLY, UM, PLANTS IN THERE.

AND SO, UM, THE SCHOOL'S EXCITED TO MAKE THAT A, A CLASSROOM AND TEACHING OPPORTUNITY.

I, I THANK YOU FOR THE, FOR THE SIGNAGE AND THAT'S, THAT'S GREAT.

WHAT I'M THINKING IS AN ACTUAL PLACE WHERE KIDS CAN SIT MM-HMM.

, UM, AND, AND HAVE LESSONS OUTDOORS, YOU KNOW, SO THAT THEY'RE STUDYING THINGS OR OBSERVING THINGS, BUT THEY CAN ALSO BE SEATED.

YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT NECESSARILY TABLES AND STUFF.

SOMETIMES THAT'S, YOU KNOW, LARGE BOULDERS OR SOME SORT OF OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURE WHERE THEY CAN SIT, BUT THEY CAN ACTUALLY BE IN A CLASSROOM TYPE, UM, EXPERIENCE.

THEN ALSO, UH, ON THE SPORTS FIELD TOO.

UM, WE COULD, YEAH, SURE.

, GOOD EVENING.

UH, I'M JASON ERS WITH HUCKABEE, UM, UH, ARCHITECT LEADING THE DESIGN OF THE PROJECT.

UM, SO WE'RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH THE DISTRICT RIGHT NOW ABOUT, UM, WHERE THE STUDENTS CAN GO AND CAN'T GO KIND OF THING WHEN, FROM A SAFETY AND SECURITY STANDPOINT, ONE OF THE REASONS WE GAVE THAT GRAPHIC ABOUT THE PERIMETER OF THE FENCE IS THAT THEY DO WANT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE KIDS TO GET OUTSIDE AND BE ABLE TO, TO LEARN.

UM, BUT THEY'RE ALSO VERY COGNIZANT THAT THEY ARE WITHIN A SECURE PERIMETER, SO THEY'RE NOT, UM, WANDERING OFF GOING TO THE, UH, THE LOCAL GAS STATION.

SO THE COURTYARD CONCEPT DOES ALLOW THEM TO GET OUTSIDE.

SO THERE ARE MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM TO GET OUT.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MAYBE DOING, UH, MAYBE LIKE A LITTLE AM OUTDOOR AMPHITHEATER KIND OF SET UP IN THAT COURTYARD.

UM, THE ART CLASSROOMS OPEN UP ONTO THAT OUTDOOR SPACE, SO THEY'LL ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO DO ART OUTSIDE, UH, WHEN THEY'RE ACTUALLY IN THE, THE PATH WHERE OTHER STUDENTS ARE GONNA BE WALKING.

SO THEY'LL ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO OBSERVE THOSE STUDENTS DOING THAT ART OUTSIDE.

UM, SO WITHIN THE CONFINES OF THE SAFETY AND SECURITY PARAMETERS THAT THE SCHOOL IS ASKING US TO, TO MAINTAIN, WE ARE TRYING TO CREATE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM TO, TO LEARN OUTSIDE.

THANK YOU FOR THAT.

AND I'M SORRY THAT WE LIVE IN A REALITY WHERE THEY'RE FENCED IN AND THEY'RE HELD IN THEIR, LIKE LITTLE, LITTLE PRISONERS.

UM, SO YEAH, AND IT, A ISD, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE JOINT USE AGREEMENTS WHERE THEY CAN TAKE THE KIDS OUT TO THE PARKLANDS AND THEN COME BACK.

SO I JUST WANNA TOSS THAT OUT THERE AS A, A A, AN AREA OF OPPORTUNITY PERHAPS, UM, FOR THE FUTURE.

UM, AND LET'S SEE.

I HAD A COUPLE OTHER QUESTIONS HERE.

OH, UM, ARE THERE, UH, ARE Y'ALL USING SOLAR ANYWHERE THROUGHOUT SCHOOL AS A LEARNING OPPORTUNITY OR FOR, UH, OTHERWISE? UM, SO RIGHT NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, SOLAR READY FOR THE BUILDING.

UM, IF WE ACTUALLY PUT IN SOLAR PANELS AT THIS POINT, IT'S STILL TO BE DETERMINED.

THAT'S GREAT.

I LOVE THAT.

UM, AND THEN, UH, DARK SKY LIGHTING.

UM, HOPEFULLY THAT'S THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING, BUT

[02:00:01]

UM, WE'VE HAD A COUPLE OF SPORTS FIELDS COME BEFORE US BEFORE THAT, UM, THEY WERE PLANNING THINGS ON THE BUILDINGS, BUT THEY HADN'T REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT THE SPORTS FIELD.

AND THERE'S, THERE'S DEFINITELY, UM, COOL RECOMMENDATIONS NOW.

, UM, OUT THERE AND DIFFERENT LIGHTING OPPORTUNITIES, UM, FOR THAT.

SO HOPEFULLY IS THAT, UH, YES.

SO ON THE, ON THE BUILDING AND THE GENERAL LIGHTING, PARKING, LIGHTING AND THAT KIND OF STUFF, IT'S RELATIVELY EASY TO, TO MEET THOSE REQUIREMENTS.

UM, ON THE SPORTS FIELDS, WE, WE WILL WORK WITH THE, THE LIGHTING CONSULTANT.

WE WANT TO DO HIGH CUTOFF FIXTURES, UM, ON THOSE AS MUCH AS WE CAN.

WE GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE, THE FIELDS ARE PLAYABLE.

THINGS LIKE, UH, BASEBALL, IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT IN FOOTBALL TOO, BECAUSE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PROJECTILES THAT ARE UP IN THE AIR.

UH, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ARE NOT LOST IN DARKNESS.

UM, IT MAKES THE FIELDS UNPLAYABLE.

UM, SO WE HAVE TO BALANCE THE PLAYABILITY WITH, UM, THE, THE CUTOFF, OR WE ARE BEING HIGHLY COGNIZANT OF LIGHT POLLUTION AS WELL.

SO WE DON'T WANT THE LIGHTING TO GO TOO FAR OUTSIDE OF THE FIELDS.

THE NICE THING ABOUT MODERN LED ATHLETIC LIGHT FIXTURES IS THAT YOU HAVE A LOT OF CONTROL OVER WHERE THAT LIGHT GOES, PARTICULARLY HORIZONTALLY.

UM, SO WE'RE GONNA BE VERY COGNIZANT OF THAT.

I WOULD HAVE A LOOK AT WHAT, UM, BOTH, UH, CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY DID, UH, WITH THEIRS WHEN THEY ADDED THEIRS.

AND THEN ALSO TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, WHAT THEY HAVE DONE WITH THEIR PARKS.

UH, I BELIEVE IT'S OUT IN LAKEWAY.

UM, BECAUSE THE NEIGHBORHOODS THERE WERE REALLY, REALLY EMPHATIC ABOUT HAVING IT BE DARKSIDE COMPLIANT.

AND I THINK THEY DID AN EXCELLENT JOB ALRIGHT.

WITH THAT.

SO I JUST WANNA MENTION, UM, THOSE TWO, UM, PIECES.

UM, YEAH.

UH, OTHER THAN THAT, I, I, I COMMEND YOU FOR, UH, BUILDING A HIGH SCHOOL THAT'S MULTIPLE STORIES AND, UM, AND NOT JUST ONE BIG FLAT SPACE.

SO I APPRECIATE THAT.

WELL, I WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL, THAT WAS MULTIPLE STIR , HEY.

AND WE WERE FOR FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE A, A COURTYARD THAT HAD A, LIKE A HUGE OAK TREES AND ALL THAT STUFF, BUT CERTAIN TIMES OF YEAR POLLEN WAS EVERYWHERE, BUT IT WAS STILL PRETTY COOL .

BUT, UM, I HAD A FEW QUESTIONS.

WELL, I GUESS LIKE, I WAS THINKING ABOUT LIKE THE OUTDOOR, UM, LEARNING SPACE, AND YOU HAD MENTIONED LIKE, POSSIBILITY OF AN AMPHITHEATER AND I, AND ONE THING I, I KIND OF SAY TO CONSIDER A SHADE SINCE WE LIVE IN TEXAS, AND THEN I JUST STARTED THINKING ABOUT BOULDERS AS FOR SEEDINGS, I WAS LIKE, WELL, THOSE ROCKS ARE GONNA GET HOT, SO SO SHADE WOULD BE GOOD.

UM, HOW FAR IS THE NEAREST NEIGHBORHOOD? SO IT'S ACTUALLY A, UM, THE SLIGHT PLAN'S NOT UP AGAIN, BUT MM-HMM.

, THERE'S THE MAIN STREET SIDE AND THE TURNERSVILLE ROAD SIDE.

THE OTHER TWO PROPERTY LINES ARE DIRECTLY ADJACENT TO SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING THAT'S COMING.

IT'S NOT CURRENTLY BUILT, BUT IT WILL BE THERE.

AND, UM, LET'S SEE.

AND I WAS JUST THINKING OF LIKE, OPTIONS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL LEARNING.

LIKE I'VE SEEN WHERE SOME SCHOOLS WOULD KIND OF, UH, FACTOR IN KIND OF LIKE A, A STUDENT, UM, COMPOSTING KIND OF PROGRAM TO WHERE THEY KIND OF LEARN HOW TO TAKE CARE OF THE ENVIRONMENT OR LIKE HOW TO GROW STUFF AND ALSO LIKE CHICKENS.

AND SO I JUST THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE KIND OF SOME, SOMETHING COOL TO THINK ABOUT AS WELL.

WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD THOSE CONVERSATIONS.

SO THE DISTRICT DOES HAVE A COMPOSTING PROGRAM IN THE DISTRICT.

IT'S NOT AT EVERY CAMPUS, BUT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT BEING AT THIS CAMPUS.

UM, THEY ALSO DO HAVE SOME CAMPUSES THAT HAVE, UM, ANIMALS ON SITE.

UH, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT AS A POSSIBILITY FOR THIS CAMPUS AS WELL.

UM, SO IT'S, UM, IT'S A BALANCE.

THE, THE ANIMAL ONE IN PARTICULAR, WE GOTTA MAKE SURE WE CAN PROVIDE A SPACE FOR THEM THAT THE ANIMALS CAN THRIVE AND BE SAFE AND THAT KIND OF STUFF.

SO, UM, BUT IT IS PART OF THE CONVERSATION THAT WE'RE HAVING WITH DISTRICT LEADERSHIP.

NICE.

THAT WAS ALL I HAD.

ANY OTHER CHAIR? I HAD ONE MORE, ONE MORE QUESTION I MEANT TO ASK BEFORE ABOUT THE POINT ABOUT THE ARTIFICIAL TURF, UH, TO BE CONSIDERED AS PERVIOUS COVER, UM, FOR STAFF.

HOW HARD IS THAT TO DO WITH, UH, 'CAUSE I KNOW SOMETIMES PERVIOUS COVER, YOU KNOW, DOES ALLOW YEAH.

I MEAN, ARTIFICIAL TURF DOES, HAS HOLES IN IT SO THE WATER CAN DRAIN.

YEAH, GOOD QUESTION.

SO ARTIFICIAL TURF IS ONE OF THOSE TOUGH ONES THAT COMES UP.

UM, A ISD HAS THIS KIND OF SIMILAR LANGUAGE THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM ON PUTTING IN THE ILA, UM, UM, THAT DOES REQUIRE SOME ENGINEERING ANALYSIS TO SHOW THAT IT DOESN'T CONTRIBUTE RUNOFF, THAT IT CONTINUES TO INFILTRATE WHERE AVAILABLE, AND THAT THERE IS SOME SORT OF WATER QUALITY TREATMENT FACILITY FOR IT, BECAUSE WE ARE CONCERNED WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, POLLUTANTS THAT COME OFF OF, BECAUSE IT, IT'S A TYPE OF PLASTICS, SO MICROPLASTICS, PFAS, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT THAT IT'S A CARTE BLANCHE, YOU CAN PUT IT DOWN AND IT'S CONSIDERED PERVIOUS.

THERE WILL BE SOME, UM, CONDITIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER? COMMISSIONERS? SORRY.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HANDS AND CO FORHE BEDFORD, BRISTOL SULLIVAN, CROI, AND BRIMER.

UM, I MOVE THAT WE CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ALL THOSE, UH, DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.

SECONDED BY BRISTOL.

[02:05:01]

NOW DO WE HAVE A MOTION? UM, OKAY.

UH, NOVEMBER 6TH, 2024, HAYES INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT, UH, WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES CITY OF AUSTIN AS REQUESTING APPROVAL OF AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN HAYES ISD AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES HAYES ISD FALLS WITHIN THE SUBURBAN WATERSHED AND REIN CREEK PALM CREEK.

UH, AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES, RECOGNIZES THAT THE STAFF RECOMMENDS THE AGREEMENT WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS.

NUMBER ONE, A MINIMUM OF FOUR EDUCATIONAL INTERPRETIVE SIGNS WILL BE INSTALLED ON CAMPUS WITH LOCATIONS IDENTIFIED IN THE SITE PLAN.

TEMPORARY SIGNAGE WILL BE INSTALLED AT EACH LOCATION FOR APPROVAL, UH, OF THE SITE PLAN.

PERMANENT EDUCATION SIGNAGE WILL BE DEVELOPED WITH STUDENTS AND INSTALLED AT A LATER DATE.

PERMANENT SIGNS ARE NOT A REQUIREMENT FOR, UH, CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY AS SHOWN IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL ENHANCEMENTS.

UH, THIS IS NUMBER TWO, PLANNING EXHIBIT A.

APPROXIMATELY 5,000 SQUARE FEET OF PRAIRIE HABITAT RESTORATION WILL BE PROVIDED USING NATIVE PRAIRIE SPECIES, NATIVE SOILS, AND OTHER HABITAT ENHANCEMENTS AS APPROVED BY THE DIRECTOR OF WATERSHED PROTECTION.

NUMBER THREE, ALL PLANT MATERIALS WILL BE 100% NATIVE AND ADAPTIVE SPECIES, BUT DON'T LIKE ADAPTIVE SPECIES, UH, AND SELECTED FROM THE EXHIBIT B PLANT LIST.

ALTERNATIVE PLANTS MAY BE PROVIDED AS REVIEWED AND APPROVED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN ARBORIST FOUR.

THE PRO THE PROTECT PROJECT WILL BE, UH, WILL PROVIDE A MINIMUM OF TWO VEHICLE CHARGING STATIONS AND 80 BICYCLE PARKING, UH, SPOTS.

FIVE, RAINWATER AND AC CONDENSATION WILL BE COLLECTED AND USED FOR LANDSCAPE IRRIGATION.

SIX.

THE PROJECT WILL COMPLY WITH BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN STANDARDS BY MEETING THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS OF THE AUSTIN ENERGY GREEN BUILDING CRITERIA FOR LIGHT POLLUTION REDUCTION AND BIRD COLLISION DETERRENCE.

SEVEN.

THE PROJECT WILL PROVIDE AN INTEGRATED PEST MANAGEMENT PLAN.

EIGHT, UH, DISTURBED SOIL.

TOP SOIL WILL BE STOCKPILED ON SITE AND UTILIZED IN NEW PLANTING AREAS.

ADE UH, SHRUB PLANTINGS AND SEEDING AREAS.

NINE.

THE DETENTION POND WILL BE DESIGNED FOR FULLY VEGETATED CON UH, CONDITIONS AND INTEGRATED INTO THE LANDSCAPE, WHICH WILL PROVIDE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.

THEREFORE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOMMENDS THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH THE FOLLOWING CONDITIONS.

NUMBER ONE, INSTALLATION OF AN OUTDOOR CLASSROOM THAT OFFERS SEATINGS FOR STUDENTS WITH SHADE.

UM, UTILIZES BEST PRACTICES OR OUTDOOR LIGHTING FOR THE SPORTS FIELD.

AND THAT IS DARK SKIES FRIENDLY, THE END.

SECRETARY.

AND WE HAVE TO MENTION THAT WE'RE ALLOWING THE CUT AND FILL VARIANCE.

I THINK THAT, IS THAT PART OF, IS THAT PART OF THE REQUEST? THAT'S PART OF THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT, RIGHT? YES.

IT WILL BE PART OF THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT.

SO SHOULD WE REP MENTION IT IN OUR, UH, I THINK IT WOULD MAKE SENSE TO INCLUDE, TO ALLOW CUT AND FILL UP TO 15 FEET AND TO, UM, ALLOW ARTIFICIAL TURF TO BE CONSIDERED PERVIOUS.

UM, JUST FOR THE, FOR THE RECORD AND FOR THE PLANNING COMMISSIONING CITY COUNCIL TO KNOW THAT THAT'S WHAT WAS AGREED UPON.

AND SO DO YOU WANT THAT UNDER THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS PIECE OR IS THAT UNDER A SPECIFIC, WHEREAS IS FOR WHAT'S BEING ASKED FOR? I THINK IT COULD BE STAFF RECOMMENDATION.

YEAH, CAN DO.

THANKS FOR CATCHING THAT.

UH, LET ME KNOW IF THIS CATCHES IT.

[02:10:05]

UH, ADDITIONALLY, STAFF RECOMMENDS THE CUT AND FILL VARIANCE, UH, FROM FOUR FEET UP TO 15 FEET, UM, AND IS REQUESTING TO ALLOW THE ARTIFICIAL TURF BE CONSIDERED PERVIOUS COVER.

DOES THAT COVER IT? CORRECT.

IT'S LIKE A BAD COMEDY ROUTINE.

ALRIGHT, COMMISSIONER BRIMER.

LET'S GO AHEAD AND, UH, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION COMMISSIONERS? OKAY, LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HAND.

WE HAVE COFER, SHERA, QURESHI, BEDFORD, BRISTOL SULLIVAN, AND BRIER.

MOTION PASSES.

THANKS Y'ALL.

WHAT TIME IS IT? OKAY.

IT'S NOW EIGHT 12.

ARE Y'ALL GOOD FOR ONE MORE THING? OR YOU WANNA TAKE A LITTLE BREAK? LET'S TAKE A LITTLE BREAK.

I HAVE TWO MORE THINGS.

YEAH, I'LL BE UP.

UM, LET'S SEE.

IT'S EIGHT 12.

LET'S COME BACK AT, UH, EIGHT 17.

EIGHT 18.

LIVE A LITTLE .

OKAY, Y'ALL, IT IS EIGHT 19.

SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET THE ENVIRONMENTAL MISSION ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION MEETING BACK ON TRACK.

GOOD LUCK, .

WE'RE MEETING.

HEY, WE'RE MEETING HERE.

I KNOW, BUT WE'RE, STOP INTERRUPTING ME.

WE'RE BACK IN SESSION.

BACK CHANNEL CONVERSATION.

THAT'S RIGHT.

HEY, MY CLOCK SAYS I GOT ANOTHER MINUTE.

NO, IT DOESN'T.

NO.

OKAY, LET'S GET BACK ON TRACK.

UH, NEXT UP

[4. Discussion and recommendation on the findings of the Bird-friendly Design working group and upcoming resolution – Environmental Commissioner Jennifer Bristol]

WE HAVE DISCUSSION ACTION ITEMS, DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION OF ON THE FINDINGS OF THE BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN WORKING GROUP AND UPCOMING RESOLUTION SECRETARY BRISTOL.

YEAH, THANKS.

SO, UH, FIRST OFF, I WANNA SAY, UM, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN.

UM, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER, UH, MARIANA, WHO'S NOT HERE, UH, OR KRUGER THAT HE'S NOT HERE, UH, FOR SERVING ON THE WORKING GROUP.

UM, WE, UH, AND, UM, MR. NA, DR.

NAZER, UH, WHO'S ALSO HERE, CRAIG, UM, WE STARTED MEETING IN JUNE.

UH, WE HUSTLED AND, UM, BROUGHT IN, UH, A REALLY GOOD, UH, WORKING GROUP.

WE WANTED TO KEEP IT FAIRLY SMALL AND TIGHT, UM, SO THAT WE COULD ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, KIND OF GET THINGS DONE AND NOT GET LOST IN ANALYSIS PARALYSIS.

UM, WHICH I FEEL LIKE WE, WE DID A GREAT JOB.

UH, TRAVIS AUDUBON, UH, OFFERED US THEIR OFFICES, UH, TO MEET IN FOR ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT MEETINGS, UM, WHICH WAS VERY GENEROUS OF THEM.

UM, AND, UH, EVERYBODY DUG IN.

WE HAD, UH, REPRESENTATION FROM, UH, ARCHITECTS, UH, THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY, UM, UH, THE, UM, WHAT IS IT CALLED? THE ENVELOPE DESIGN OF BUILDINGS, UM, COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS, UM, YOU KNOW, VARIOUS, UM, OTHER COMMISSIONERS, UM, AND, UH, THE CONSERVATION COMMUNITY.

SO IT WAS A REALLY GOOD WORKING GROUP.

UH, EVERYBODY, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY BROUGHT SOMETHING NEW AND DIFFERENT TO THE TABLE TO HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE ALL OF THE DIFFERENT PIECES THAT WE NEED TO BE LOOKING AT AND CONSIDERING, UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS TO CRAFT, UM, A RESOLUTION, UH, WE ASK, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER POOLE, UH, TO, UM, BE KIND OF OUR LIAISON IN THIS PROCESS AND HELP US THROUGH.

AND, UM, HER STAFF HAS BEEN AMAZING, UH, WITH REALLY CHAMPIONING THIS AND, AND OFFERING GUIDANCE, ESPECIALLY WITH CREATING THE RESOLUTION AND THEN ALSO GOING AND GETTING, UM, OTHER, UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, TO SUPPORT THIS, TO BE ABLE TO BRING IT FORWARD, UH, AND PUT IT ON THE AGENDA FOR NOVEMBER 21ST.

SO, UM, OUR JOB TODAY, UH, IS TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE, UM, ARE RECOMMENDING.

UM, AND THEN WE HAVE, UM, UH, A MOTION, UH, HERE AS WELL.

YOU ALL, UM, HAVE HOT OFF THE PRESSES, UH, A COPY OF THE RESOLUTION.

UM, THIS, UH, WAS, UH, THE FINAL DRAFT AS OF TODAY AT ABOUT NINE 30, UH, AM AND, UM, IT HAS BEEN PASSED OVER BY OUR WORKING GROUP.

UM, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER POOL STAFF, UH, LEGAL HAS LOOKED AT IT.

WE ALSO RAN IT BY, UM, THE, AND I NEVER GET THE ACRONYM

[02:15:01]

NAME RIGHT, BUT IT'S THE, UH, REAL ESTATE COUNCIL, UM, OR ASSOCIATION, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHICH, WHICH ONE IT IS.

BUT, UM, THEY LOOKED AT IT AS WELL, UM, SO THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THERE WAS ANY, ANYTHING THEY OBJECTED TO, WE WANTED TO KNOW THAT, UH, RIGHT OFF THE BAT, THERE WASN'T, UM, BECAUSE OUR REAL GOAL AND THIS WHOLE PROCESS IS NOT TO BE PRESCRIPTIVE, BUT REALLY BE, HERE'S A SUITE OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU.

UM, AND THEN WHERE DO WE PUT THAT IN THE CODE? AND HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE BETTER EMBED THAT, UM, FOR EVERYBODY? UH, AND, AND HAVING A REALLY GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT'S EXPECTED AND REQUIRED, UH, MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT.

SO THE TIMELINE, UM, UH, ONCE HOPEFULLY IT PASSES, UH, COUNCIL IS, THEN IT DIRECTS, UM, UH, THE CITY MANAGER TO OUR STAFF AND WORK WITH STAFF TO, YOU KNOW, UM, FIND, UM, WHERE TO PLACE THIS AND THEN COME BACK TO US, UM, BY JUNE 1ST.

SO THERE'S, UM, I FEEL LIKE THAT'S A, UH, A GOOD TIMELINE.

UM, AND, UM, AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT ALL IS IN THE RESOLUTION, UM, AS WELL.

SO, UM, I CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS OR THOUGHTS, BUT, UM, I CAN ALSO JUST DIVE RIGHT INTO THE, UH, MOTION, UH, ANY, UH, QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS, OR ANYTHING THAT Y'ALL WANT TO ASK SECRETARY BRISTOL ABOUT? THE ONLY THING I NOTICED WAS THAT MAYBE THE DATE FOR NOVEMBER 21ST, UM, I THINK THAT MIGHT BE NOVEMBER 20TH THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'RE OR IS THAT FOR, I'M SORRY? THAT'S FOR CITY COUNCIL.

AND COMMISSIONER, SHE, I HAVE TO TELL YOU, NOT ONLY IS, UM, THE, THERE IS A, A DELAY WHEN YOU'RE SPEAKING, BUT YOUR VOICE IS NOT LINING UP WITH YOU BECAUSE IT'S, YOU'RE SO HOARSE, .

I'M GLAD I CAN SEE YOU.

YEAH, GLAD, I'M GLAD I'M HERE.

UM, I'M KIND OF WI WHITTLING AWAY A LITTLE BIT, BUT I AM HERE FOR NOW.

UH, COMMISSIONERS, I DO WANNA POINT OUT YOU, THERE IS A PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS ITEM.

THAT'S RIGHT.

UM, THANK YOU FOR REMINDING ME .

UH, BUT HE DO HAVE A PUBLIC COM COMMENTER, CRAIG NASER.

SORRY ABOUT THAT.

THERE YOU GO.

UH, CRAIG NASER, UH, I JUST WANNA SAY THAT IT WAS FUN WORKING ON THIS GROUP AND ALSO THAT, UH, I DIDN'T GET TO PUT THIS IN, IN, IN TIME, BUT SIERRA CLUB LAST WEEK APPROVED IS, IS, IS GONNA WRITE A LETTER TO SUPPORT THIS, AND IT WAS UNANIMOUS.

AND SO WE'RE ALL BEHIND IT, AND I WANT TO SEE IT GO.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

AWESOME.

BETTER UNDERSTAND THE ISSUE AND BEST PRACTICE DESIGNS WERE BIRD FRIENDLY BUILDINGS.

AND YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO GET THE LETTER OF SUPPORT IN.

UM, WE ARE COLLECTING LETTERS AS PART OF WHAT WE'RE DOING FOR THE WORKING GROUP.

TWO IS COLLECTING LETTERS OF SUPPORT.

WE HAVE UNTIL NOVEMBER 15TH, UM, TO PROVIDE THOSE, UM, GET THEM ALL IN, AND THEN WE'LL PROVIDE THOSE TO COUNSEL, UM, AS WELL.

SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.

UM, SO FAR, AND THEN INCLUDING YOURS, I THINK WE HAVE 14 LETTERS OF SUPPORT.

SO WE'RE WELL DOWN OUR, OUR LIST OF PEOPLE THAT WE WANNA, PEOPLE IN ORGANIZATIONS AND, AND BUSINESSES TOO.

OTHER QUESTIONS? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS? I SAY LET'S GO AHEAD AND READ THE RECOMMENDATION.

ALL RIGHT.

UH, NOVEMBER 6TH, 2024, UH, THE BIRD FRIENDLY DESIGN WORKING GROUP, UH, WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION WAS GIVEN A PRESENTATION ABOUT BIRD SAFE DESIGN BY HEIDI TRUDEL, UH, BIRD SIFE DESIGN SPECIALIST WITH SUPPORT FROM TRAVIS AUDUBON.

AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THE CITY OF AUSTIN WAS NAMED A BIRD CITY IN FEBRUARY, 2023.

AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THAT OVER 400 SPECIES OF BIRDS RESIDE OR MIGRATE THROUGH TRAVIS COUNTY EVERY SPRING AND FALL, INCLUDING THE ENDANGERED GOLDEN CHEEK WARBLER AND THREATENED BLACK CAP BUREAU.

AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN BENEFITS FROM THE AN FROM THE ANNUAL 1.8 BILLION GENERATED FROM BIRD TOURISM IN TEXAS.

AND WHEREAS THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOGNIZES BIRD COLLIDING, BIRDS COLLIDING WITH POORLY DESIGNED BUILDINGS RESULTS IN UP TO ONE.

AND I PUT MILLION, BUT THAT SHOULD BE 1 BILLION BIRDS, UM, DYING IN THE US EVERY YEAR.

UM, LET ME MARK THIS SO I HAVE IT CHANGED HERE.

WHEREAS, UH, TO

[02:20:01]

UH, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION FORMED A WORKING GROUP IN JUNE OF 2024 WITH OTHER COMMISSIONERS, ARCHITECTS, DEVELOPERS, AND CONSERVATIONISTS.

AND WHEREAS THE WORKING GROUP MET MONTHLY TO STUDY WHAT OTHER CITIES ARE DOING, UH, WHAT OUR BEST PRACTICES AND WHAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS ALREADY, UH, DOING.

WHEREAS AFTER STUDYING THE ISSUE AND SOLUTIONS, A WORKING GROUP WITH SUPPORT OF COUNCIL MEMBER POOL'S OFFICE SUBMITTED A RESOLUTION FOR CONSIDERATION BY, UM, COUNCIL.

THE RESOLUTION WILL BE CONSIDERED ON NOVEMBER 21ST, 2024.

THEREFORE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION REC RECOMMENDS SUPPORTING THE RESOLUTION AS IT FALLS IN LINE WITH MEETING THE ENVIRONMENTAL GOALS OF IMPROVING HABITAT FOR SPECIES.

IMPROVING AND STABILIZING BIODIVERSITY IS MY TIME UP WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS AND ETJ AND IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR PEOPLE RESIDING IN OR VISITING AUSTIN.

SECOND.

OH, I'LL GIVE IT TO SULLIVAN.

ALRIGHT, .

UM, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION, GUYS? OKAY, LET'S GO AHEAD AND TAKE A VOTE.

ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE, UH, RECOMMENDATION, RAISE YOUR HAND.

WE HAVE COFER, SHERA, RESI, BEDFORD, BRISTOL SULLIVAN, AND BRIER.

[5. Staff presentation on Tree Regulations and Protections: An Introduction to Austin’s Tree Regulations – Naomi Rotramel, City Arborist, and Daniel Priest, Environmental Compliance Specialist Sr., Development Services Department]

NEXT UP WE HAVE DISCUSSION ITEMS, STAFF PRESENTATION ON TREE REGULATIONS AND PROTECTIONS, AND INTRODUCTION TO AUSTIN'S TREE REGULATIONS BY NAOMI RETRO MILE.

HI THERE, COMMISSIONERS, THANKS FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.

UH, NAOMI CHEEL, CITY ARBORIST, AND I'M GONNA GIVE A BRIEF PRESENTATION ON OUR TREE REGULATIONS.

UM, MY COUNTERPART, MY, UH, COLLEAGUE IS NOT HERE TONIGHT.

UM, SO IT'S JUST ME.

TO START OFF WITH A BRIEF HISTORY OF AUSTIN'S TREE ORDINANCE.

UH, IT WAS ENACTED IN 1983.

UH, ONE OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT CHAMPIONED THIS WAS MARGARET HOFFMAN, AND SHE WORKED ON IT FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF BEFORE IT EVEN WENT TO COUNCIL AND WAS PASSED.

AND IF YOU NOTICE OUTSIDE OF CITY HALL, THERE'S A PARK DEDICATED TO HER RIGHT ON CESAR CHAVEZ.

UM, THE, THIS IS A NICE PICTURE OF THE SKYLINE OF WHAT IT LOOKED IN 1983, WE'VE OBVIOUSLY GROWN A BIT.

AND THEN IN 2010, THE HERITAGE TREE ORDINANCE WAS PASSED.

AND HERE'S A GOOD, UH, DEPICTION OF WHAT THE SKYLINE LOOKED AT THAT IN, UM, AUSTIN.

UM, FIRST OF ALL, LET'S START OFF OF WHY WE PROTECT TREES.

WE ALL KNOW THIS, BUT, UM, THEY IMPROVE THE AIR QUALITY, UH, ABSORB PARTICULATES IN THE AIR.

UM, WE HAD A GREAT PRESENTATION BY MATT AND HOW ON FLOODING IMPACTS, UM, AND, UM, THEY SHOWER, THEY OR THEY INFILTRATE RAINWATER.

UH, THEY CONTRIBUTE TO OUR SENSE OF NATURE.

UH, WE HAVE BENEFITS OF HEALTH, HEALTH OUTCOMES, AND ALL OF THESE ARE IN PUBLISHED RESEARCH, UH, PAPERS FOR MANY YEARS.

UM, TREES ARE GOOD FOR BUSINESS.

UM, WE FEEL CONNECTED WHEN WE CAN GO SHOP AND BE AROUND SHADED STREETS.

UM, WE REDUCE TREE ROOTS, REDUCE EROSION, AND THEY HOLD THE SOIL IN PLACE.

THEY CAN CLEAN AND COOL THE AIR, UH, UP DEGREES CELSIUS.

SO FAR MORE SHO, FAR MORE THAN A SHADED STRUCTURE.

THEY REDUCE ENERGY USE, UM, PER PROVIDE, PROVIDE SHELTER AND FOOD FOR DIVERSE WILDLIFE.

UM, PROVIDE A SENSE OF PLACE, UM, SOFTENS A SHARP OUTLINE OF OUR URBAN ENVIRONMENT AND TO MAINTAIN THE HEALTH AND INTEGRITY OF THE URBAN FOREST.

UM, THE CITY HAS, CITY OF AUSTIN STRIVES TO PLANT TREES, PRESERVE TREES DURING DEVELOPMENT AND CARE FOR EXISTING TREES.

AND THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE SIDES OF WHAT A PROTECTED TREE.

A 19 INCH TREE, UM, CAN INTERCEPT, UM, ABOUT 5,167 GALLONS OF STORM WATER EVERY YEAR.

UH, IT IS QUITE SIGNIFICANT IN ONE OF THE BENEFITS, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, RELEVANT TO WHAT MATT WAS DESCRIBING OF INFILTRATING STORMWATER.

TO REMAIN TO THE EXTENT FEASIBLE ON SITE PLAN APPLICATIONS.

UM, THE TREE PRESERVATION ORDINANCES LIE WITHIN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.

SECTION 25 8 B ONE, UH, PROHIBITS REMOVAL OF A PROTECTED OR HERITAGE TREE WITHOUT A PERMIT.

IT DEFINES EIGHT INCHES AND GREATER ABOUT THIS BIG TREES, UM,

[02:25:01]

IT DEFINES REMOVAL, PHYSICAL REMOVAL OVER PRUNING EXCESSIVE ROOT DISTURBANCE.

IT DEFINES THE AL CRITERIA FOR REMOVAL.

IT SPEAKS TO VARIANCES AND APPEALS.

IT CREATES A POSITION OF A CITY ARBORIST TO IMPLEMENT THE TREE REGULATIONS.

AND IT PRESCRIBES THAT THE CITY ARBORIST WILL, UM, PROVIDE ADMINISTRATIVE RULES ON PRESERVATION CRITERIA, PROTECTION REQUIREMENTS AND MITIGATION.

AND NEXT SLIDE.

UM, SEPARATING WHAT IS IN THE LAND OF DEVELOPMENT CODE, UH, WHICH IS CITY POLICY.

UM, AGAIN, IT HAS THE GENERAL PROVISIONS DEFINITIONS, AUTHORIZES RULES, APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS, UM, TALKS ABOUT PROTECTED TREES, APPROVAL CRITERIA FOR REMOVAL, HERITAGE TREES, APPROVAL CRITERIA FOR REMOVAL OF HERITAGE TREES AND VARIANCES.

AND THEN WE GO TO THE SECTION THREE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL CRITERIA MANUAL THAT LISTS OUT TREE SURVEY REQUIREMENTS, SURVEY AND PLAN DEPICTIONS, HILL COUNTY ROAD ORDINANCES.

IT SPEAKS TO DESIGN CRITERIA PROTECTION, MITIGATION, ENTRY PROTECTION.

UH, NEXT SLIDE.

UM, IT'S COUPLE OF PATHWAYS THAT WHEN WE REVIEW, UH, ALL OUR DEVELOPMENT PLAN APPLICATIONS, IT'S EITHER PRESERVED AND IT MUST MEET THE CRITERIA.

THE 3.52, WHICH I'LL GO OVER IN ANOTHER SLIDE WHERE IT'S REMOVED, MITIGATED, AND IT MUST FALL UNDER THE CRITERIA OF 25 8 6 2 4.

UM, WHAT ARE THE TREE REGULATIONS? UM, WHAT'S IN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE IS THE CRITERIA FOR REMOVAL.

AND IN ENVIRONMENTAL CRITERIA MANUAL, THAT'S WHERE YOU HAVE THE RULES FOR PROTECTING TREES.

AND WE HAVE THAT FAMILIAR WITH CRITICAL ROOT ZONE GRAPHIC.

UH, ALL TREES ARE REGULATED ONCE THEY HIT 19 INCHES IN DIAMETER.

SO GIVING YOU LIKE A VISUAL OF 19 INCHES IS PROBABLY THIS MUCH AROUND AT FOUR AND A HALF FEET ABOVE GROUND.

UM, IT INCLUDES, EXCUSE ME, ALL, UM, ALL TREES.

IT INCLUDES, UH, HACKBERRIES, UH, ASH, JUNIPER, WHAT WE CALL INVASIVES, HAZARDOUS TREES, ET CETERA.

CERTAIN SPECIES ARE DESIGNATED HERITAGE TREES, WHICH WHEN THEY REACH 24 INCHES IN DIAMETER, THAT'S IN LDC 25 8 6 0 2, AND IT PALM TREES ARE NOT REGULATED UNDER THE CITY OF AUSTIN TREE ORDINANCE.

UM, GOING INTO OUR ENVIRONMENTAL CRITERIA, MANUAL, ECM 3.2, UH, TREE SURVEYS.

UM, THIS SLIDE IS AN EXAMPLE OF A SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL PLAN AND WHAT WE'RE REVIEWING FOR IN PRESERVATION OF THE CRITERIA MANUAL, UH, SURVEYS MUST INCLUDE SPECIES, TRUNK, DIAMETER, AND LOCATION.

UH, SURVEYS FOR SITE PLANS OR ANY, ANY DEVELOPMENT SUBJECT TO A SITE PLAN, UH, MUST BE CERTIFIED BY A LICENSED LAND SURVEYING PROFESSIONAL THAT CAN ALSO SURVEY TOPOLOGICAL FEATURES, ET CETERA.

UH, SURVEYS FOR RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS DO NOT NEED TO BE CERTIFIED.

NEXT SLIDE, ECM 3.52, UH, SPEAKS TO PRESERVATION.

UM, 3 5 2 A IS STANDARD PRI PRESERVATION CRITERIA, UH, SPEAKS TO IMPACTS CRITICAL ROOT ZONE AND THE PRESERVATION CRITERIA.

AND 3 5 2 B, IT TALKS ABOUT ALTERNATIVE COMPLIANCE AND I'LL, UH, EXPLAIN THOSE IN LATER SLIDES.

UM, STEPPING BACK, WE ALL THINK OF TREES AS THE SAME ABOVE AND BELOW.

UM, IT'S NOT REALLY HOW TREES GROW IN REALITY, IT'S LIKE THE NEXT SLIDE, MORE OF LIKE A PANCAKE.

UH, WE DON'T REGULATE ALL OF THAT PANCAKE AND THE FULL EXTENT OF THE CRITICAL OR THE ROOT ZONE.

UH, WE LOOK AT THE CRITICAL ROOT ZONE.

SO THIS IS MORE OF A REALLY GOOD DIS, UM, DEPICTION OF WHERE ARE ARE THE TREE ROOTS.

UM, SYMPTOMS FROM CONSTRUCTION.

UM, IMPACTS TO TREES INCLUDE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF DEVELOPMENT.

CAN DAMAGE CAN TAKE MORE THAN, UH, THREE OR MORE YEARS TO MANIFEST SOMETIMES WITHIN A YEAR, SOMETIMES, UM, SEVERAL YEARS LATER AFTER THE PROPERTY IS SOLD.

BRANCHES OR ROOTS, TEARING OF THE BARK ON THE TRUNK BRANCHES ROOTS OR OTHER HARMFUL CHEMICALS.

UM, WE DEFINE PHYSICAL DAMAGE AND DISTURBANCE OF THE GROWING ENVIRONMENT.

UH, PHYSICAL DAMAGE IS PRUNING, BREAKING SEVERING

[02:30:01]

THE DISTURBANCE OF THE GROWING ENVIRONMENT INCLUDES SOIL COMPACTION, UM, CHANGES TO SOIL DEATH, SOIL CHEMISTRY, AND CHANGES TO THE DRAINAGE.

AND THESE ARE ALL, UH, THINGS THAT WE REVIEW IN OUR IN OUR PLAN REVIEW.

UH, IMPACT TO TREES.

UM, MOST DAMAGE OCCURS DURING DEVELOPMENT.

TREES ARE PROTECTED BOTH THROUGH REVIEW PLANS AND THROUGH THE ENFORCEMENT OF TREE PROTECTIONS ON ACTIVE CONSTRUCTION SITES.

UH, TREE PRESERVATION CRITERIA ARE THE RULES THAT THE CITY USES TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT A TREE IS LIKELY TO SURVIVE, UH, CONSTRUCTION PROJECT OR OTHER IMPACTS.

SO, FOR INSTANCE, THIS IS A SLIDE I TOOK, A PICTURE I TOOK AT WATERLOO PARK, UM, WHERE THEY WERE MAINTAINING PRESERVATION CRITERIA ALL THROUGHOUT THAT PROJECT.

UM, ALSO IN THE CRITERIA MANUAL IS A TREE PRESERVATION PRESERVATION CRITERIA, AND THAT'S WHERE WE GET INTO THE CRITICAL ROOT ZONE.

UM, THE CRITICAL ROOT ZONE IS A CIRCLE AROUND THE TREE, UH, WITH A RADIUS, UH, IN FEET EQUAL TO THE DIAMETER OF THE TREE.

SO IF YOU HAVE A 20 INCH, UM, DIAMETER TREE, THEN YOU GO OUT 20 FEET ON THAT SIDE AND MAKE A CIRCLE AROUND, UH, THE HALF AND THE QUARTER ARE SMALLER CIRCLES WITHIN THAT CRITICAL ROOT ZONE, AND THOSE HAVE FURTHER RESTRICTIONS.

UM, WE LOOK AT FIRST CRITERIA WE LOOK AT IN OUR PLAN REVIEWS IS NO MORE THAN 50% OF THE TOTAL AREA OF THE CRITICAL ROOT ZONE, UH, MAY BE IMPACT.

SO OUR FIRST GIVING JUST A VISUAL OF WHAT, LIKE 50% OF THE FULL CRITICAL ROOT ZONE IS IN THE FIRST LITTLE DIAGRAM.

SECOND WOULD BE LIKE 30% IMPACT OF THE CRITICAL ROOT ZONE.

AND THEN OUR LAST SLIDE, WE LOOK AT THAT TRENCH, WHICH IS BASICALLY WOULD SEVER THE ROOTS OF THE TREE.

SO ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT TRENCH, WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO CONSIDER THAT UNIMPACTED.

UM, SO THE FIRST AND THE SECOND OF THESE, UM, THE FIRST, BECAUSE OF THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, FIRST LITTLE CIRCLE, UH, WOULD NOT BE APPROVABLE IN THE LAST CIRCLE IS OVER THAT 50% OF THE FULL CRITICAL ROOT ZONE.

UM, THE SECOND CRITERIA WE LOOKED AT IS THAT THERE IS NO IMPACTS IN THE HALF CRITICAL ROOT ZONE OR OTHER THAN GRADE CHANGES OF LESS THAN FOUR UH, INCHES.

SO THAT'S EITHER FOUR INCHES OF CUT, FOUR INCHES OF FILL, AND NO IMPACTS OF ANY KIND ARE ALLOWED WITHIN THE QUARTER CRITICAL ROOT ZONE.

SO OUR FIRST LITTLE CIRCLE THERE ON THE LEFT SHOWS WHAT IS LOOKS LIKE A 20% IMPACT.

UM, THE SECOND OF THE SECOND, THE MIDDLE, UH, CIRCLE IS WHAT LOOK WOULD BE 50% IMPACT OF THE FULL CRITICAL.

AND THEN THE LAST ONE WOULD BE A 75% IMPACT IF YOU JUST FENCED OFF AND PRESERVE THE HALF CRITICAL ROOT ZONE.

AND THE LAST SLIDE WOULDN'T BE, UM, APPROVAL.

UH, THE THIRD CRITERIA WE LOOKED AT IS NO MORE THAN 30 25% OF THE LIVING CROWN MAY BE REMOVED.

UM, THERE'S WITH TREES ARE A BIOLOGICAL ORGANISM, THEY NEED, UM, LEAVES FOR THEIR BIOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS.

UM, WE DO HAVE IN THE CRITERIA MANUAL ALTERNATIVE COMPLIANCE, UH, REMEDIAL TREE CARE, UM, LOW IMPACT EXCAVATION WHERE WE CAN AIR SPADE, UH, WHICH IS A TOOL DESIGNED TO LOOK AT THE ROOTS AND, UM, LOOK AT HOW WE CAN CREATE LOW IMPACT.

UM, ELEVATED FOUNDATIONS ARE INCLUDED.

UH, WE LOOK AT ALTERNATIVE CRITICAL ROOT ZONE CON CONFIGURATION, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE IS PRO PREVIOUS DEVELOPMENT.

AND THE LAST IS A PRESERVATION METHOD IS TRANSPLANTING.

MANY OF YOU HAVE SEEN THESE BIG TRANSPLANTS AROUND TOWN.

UM, SO PART OF THAT ALTERNATIVE CRITER COMPLIANCE IN THE CRITERIA MANUAL.

UM, AND IN THE ENTIRE CRITICAL ROOT ZONE THAT'S NOT APPROVED FOR IMPACTS OR NECESSARY ACCESS.

UM, TREE PROTECTION IS WHAT WE REVIEW FOR ON THE PLANS.

UM, WE HAVE ALL APPLICANTS SHOW WHERE THE TREE PROTECTION FENCING IS.

UM, THAT'S CHAINLINK FENCE ON EIGHT INCH STEEL POSTS.

UM, WE HAVE THAT SO IT, IT'S NOT MOVABLE OR AS EASILY AS MOVABLE RATHER THAN LIKE ORANGE, UM, UH, PLASTIC CONSTRUCTION, UH, TAPE.

IT'S THAT THESE ARE SET IN PLACE,

[02:35:01]

SO MULCH, UM, WE PROTECT WITH EIGHT INCHES OF DEEP ALL IN THE, ALL IN THE UNFENCED AREAS.

UM, OF THE CRZ THAT'S NOT APPROVED FOR IMPACTS, UM, IT'S GOTTA BE THREE INCHES DEEP WHERE ANY OF THE UN ANY AREA OF DISTURBED SOIL WITHIN THE FENCING AREA AND TOP WITH DECKING INSIDE THE CRITICAL ROOT ZONE.

SO WE'RE VERY MUCH LOOKING AT KEEPING THAT SOIL HEALTHY FOR THE OXYGEN AND THE NUTRIENTS.

AND, UH, COMPACTION DOES DAMAGE ROOTS AND DAMAGE THE SOIL, UM, STRUCTURE.

SO WE WANNA PROTECT TREES DURING DEVELOPMENT.

THIS IS A REALLY GOOD EXAMPLE OF A GREAT TREE PROTECTION, UM, ON THIS HERITAGE TREE.

UM, TRUNK BRANCHING.

UM, IT'S ONLY REQUIRED WHEN, UM, THE FENCE IS WITHIN FIVE FEET OF THE TRUNK OR WHEN LOW BRANCHES, UM, ARE AT RISK AT BEING STRUCK BY EQUIPMENT.

UM, ENVIRONMENTAL CRITERIA MANUAL 3.54 SPEAKS TO MITIGATION.

UM, THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE REQUIRES MITIGATION.

WHEN A REGULATED TREE IS REMOVED, MITIGATION ENSURES A CONTINUATION OF A HEALTHY URBAN FOREST PLANTING REPLACEMENT TREES IS THE PRIMARY FORM OF MITIGATION.

MITIGATION, PLANTING MUST BE A SPECIES LISTED IN ECM APPENDIX F AND COMPLY WITH THE PLANTING CRITERIA IN 3 54 B ONE.

ALTERNATIVE MITIGATION CAN BE PROVIDED AS PAYMENT IN LIEU TO THE URBAN FOREST REPLENISHMENT FUND, AND THE SITE MUST MEET THE CRITERIA, A 3 5, 4 B THREE.

LOT OF NUMBERS THERE, BUT THAT QUALIFY FOR ALTERNATIVE MITIGATION.

SO NUMBER ONE, WE WANT, IF THERE IS A TREE REMOVED, WE WANT IT BE TO BE PLANT BACK ON SITE.

UM, AND THEN THE, YOU ARE, THE URBAN FORESTRY REPLENISHMENT FUND IS USED TO SUPPORT TREE PLANTING, UH, IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

UH, MITIGATION FOR REMOVALS IS BASED ON THE DIAMETER AND THE SPECIES OF THE REMOVED TREE.

IT'S MITIGATION FOR PROTECTED TREES IS, UH, ONE INCH IMPLANTED FOR EVERY INCH REMOVED AT A HUNDRED PERCENT.

MITIGATION FOR HERITAGE TREES IS 300%.

UH, SOME TREES ARE MITIGATION EXEMPT.

UM, THESE INCLUDES WHAT, UM, TEXAS STATE OF TEXAS CONSIDERS INVASIVE SPECIES.

AND THAT'S YOUR LEGUM, YOUR CHINESE TALLOW, UM, AND YOUR INVASIVE SPECIES, UM, THAT WE NORMALLY THINK OF.

MITIGATION RATES CAN BE REDUCED TO POOR CONDITION TREES BY THE CITY ARBOR.

AND HERE'S A GOOD GRAPHIC FROM AUSTIN ENERGY OF JUST RIGHT TREE, RIGHT PLACE.

UM, NEXT SLIDE.

AND, UM, OUR URBAN FORESTER, EMILY KING, MANAGES THE URBAN FORESTRY REPLENISHMENT FUND THROUGH GRANTS, THROUGH PRIORITIZATION AND AREAS OF THE CITY WITH LOWER CANOPY, UM, UH, IN AREAS IN COMMUNITIES WITH GREATER RESOURCE NEED.

UM, EXAMPLES ARE LIKE PLANTING SCHOOLS, UM, PLANTING, PLANTING SCHOOLS, UH, PLANTING TREES ON SCHOOL PROPERTIES, UM, AND SUPPORTING EFFORTS LIKE THAT THROUGH THE TRAILS FOUNDATION.

UM, AND UM, I THINK SOME OF YOU HAVE HAVE BEEN THERE THROUGH EMILY KING'S, UH, PRESENTATION ON THE URBAN FORESTRY PROGRAM BEFORE, UM, WHICH GOES INTO VERY MUCH DETAIL, UM, OR ABOUT THE URBAN FORESTRY, UH, PROGRAM.

UM, FOR CITY ARBOR REVIEW, UH, WE VERIFY THAT THE PLANS CONFORM TO ALL THE PROCEEDING CRITERIA FOR SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL.

IT IS REVIEWED WITH THE BUILDING PERMIT APPLICATION FOR COMMERCIAL MULTI-FAMILY AND SUBDIVISION PROJECTS.

IT'S REVIEWED WITH A SITE PLAN APPLICATION OR A SITE PLAN EXEMPTION.

UM, WE DO HAVE SEVERAL STANDALONE TREE PERMITS, UM, DEAD DISEASE, IMMINENT HAZARD TREES, UM, THE EMERGENCY UTILITY REPAIR REPLACEMENT.

BOTH OF THOSE, UH, THE FEE IS WAIVED.

UM, UNDER THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE, UH, WE DO HAVE A CATEGORY NON-CONSTRUCTION RELATED.

SO EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT SUBMITTING A BUILDING PERMIT, YOU STILL HAVE TO ADHERE TO THE CRITERIA OF PRESERVATION.

AND THOSE COME IN AS STANDALONE TREE PERMITS.

AND THEN WE HAVE ANOTHER CATEGORY OF STANDALONE TREE PERMITS, AND THAT'S OUR VIOLATION RELATED PERMITS.

UM, THEY MUST POSE A HIGH RISK TO PEOPLE OR PROPERTY WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR.

UM, LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE JUDGES.

THESE MNET HAZARD TREES, THE FEES ARE WAIVED AND NO MITIGATION IS REQUIRED.

THAT'S, SO THAT'S IN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE.

[02:40:01]

AND ONLY THE CITY ARBORIST OR STAFF DESIGNEE MAY MAKE A DDI THAT JUST USE IMMINENT HAZARD DETERMINATION.

UM, LASTLY, THROUGHOUT THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS, UM, THE ENVIRONMENTAL ENTRY INSPECTIONS DIVISION, UM, FOLLOWS UP THROUGH THE CONSTRUCTION, UH, PROCESS THAT THE TREES ARE PROTECTED AND IT'S IN PLACE AT ALL TIMES.

UH, THE PRUNING DOESN'T EXCEED THE ALLOWED LIMITS AND SPECIAL CONDITIONS ARE THAT ARE IDENTIFIED ON THE PERMIT OR IN THE SITE PLAN ARE FOLLOWED THROUGH.

SO THE INSPECTORS ARE OUT LOOKING WHAT'S ON THE PLANS AND WHAT'S APPROVED AND MATCHING THOSE, WHAT'S ON SITE.

AND THEY ALSO LOOK FOR THAT NO TREES THAT ARE INTENDED FOR PRESERVATION ARE REMOVED AND THEN THEY'RE ALSO LOOKING AT THE REQUIRED MITIGATION IS PLANTED.

ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTORS, RIGHT? CITATIONS ISSUE, AFFIDAVITS, INSPECTORS ISSUE, ENTERPRISE CODE VIOLATIONS.

UM, TO DISTINGUISH THE ENVIRONMENTAL TREE INSPECTIONS, UM, IT'S ALL DONE THROUGH A 3 1 1.

UM, SO IF A NEIGHBOR WANTS TO, IS WORRIED ABOUT A DEVELOPMENT OUTSIDE, THEY CALL IN, IT ALL GOES THROUGH 3 1 1, UH, REMOVAL OF, UH, PROTECTED OR A HERITAGE TREE IS A CLASS C MISDEMEANOR.

UM, ECBS AND ECBS ARE REQUIRED REMEDIAL TREE CARE OR MITIGATION PLANTING TO RESTORE THE SITE TO CODE COMPLIANCE TO MAKE IT WHOLE.

UH, AND PERMITTED REMOVAL OF A REGULATED TREE CAN REQUIRE BOTH CRIMINAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE RESOLUTION.

SO BOTH TYPES OF THESE ARE INITIATED THROUGH, THROUGH ONE ONE REPORTS.

UM, ADMINISTRATIVE ENTERPRISE CODE VIOLATION, IT'S ADMINISTERED THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT.

AND, UM, MITIGATION FEES ARE UNDER THIS ADMINISTRATIVE CATEGORY.

UH, DANIEL PRIEST, WHO'S OUR ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE SPECIALIST SENIOR, IS NOT HERE TONIGHT AND COULD TALK MORE THROUGH THE WHOLE, UM, VIOLATION, UM, UH, PROCESS.

SO IN THE OTHER SECTION OF CODE 25 1 4 2 6, UM, THAT'S WHERE WE GET THE MISDEMEANOR CITATIONS.

THOSE ARE ADMINISTERED THROUGH THE MUNICIPAL COURT.

AND, UH, FINES ARE SPELLED OUT IN ANOTHER SECTION OF THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE 25 1 4 2 6.

UM, WANTED TO GIVE A BRIEFING ON OUR TREE PRESERVATION NUMBERS.

AND THESE ARE THE DEVELOPMENT PLANS THAT COME THROUGH OUR OFFICE.

UM, SO HOLDING PRETTY STEADY, UM, OVER THE PAST FIVE FISCAL YEARS, UM, WE PRESERVED 1 MILLION THREE HUNDRED NINETY SEVEN, SIX HUNDRED AND SEVENTY EIGHT INCHES.

UH, WE HAVE SOME TREE REPLANTING NUMBERS, UH, PERCENTAGE, UH, REPLANTED ON ALL OUR DEVELOPMENT SITES THAT COME IN.

AND NEXT SLIDE.

AND WE HAVE A NICE GRAPH ON THE PERCENTAGE PRESERVED AND THE PRESENTED PRESERVED TREES AND THE PERCENTAGE OF REPLACED TREES ON THE SITE.

AND THIS IS, AGAIN, FOR THE PAST FIVE FISCAL YEARS.

AND THAT'S WHAT I GOT.

UM, LET'S OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS.

UH, VICE CHAIR COFER, UH, NO QUESTIONS.

JUST THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.

IT'S NICE TO SEE IT ALL IN ONE PLACE.

COMMISSIONER SHERA.

YEAH, NO, NO QUESTIONS FOR ME EITHER.

WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE BEEN RECEIVING THESE PRESENTATIONS ON, ON THE URBAN FORESTRY COMMITTEE.

DO YOU HAVE A SENSE OF SORT OF WHY THE SCALE SEEMS TO HAVE GROWN OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS? UH, LIKELY DUE TO THE DEVELOPMENT PLANS THAT COME IN.

NICE.

COMMISSIONER RESI.

HEY, MS. REBEL, APPRECIATE THE, UH, PRESENTATION.

IT WAS VERY INFORMATIVE.

I WAS WONDERING WHEN YOU HAVE THE, UH, THE CHART THAT SHOWS, UH, THE AMOUNT OF TREES REMOVED OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, IT SEEMED LIKE, UH, 2023 AND 2024 HAD, YOU KNOW, SOMEWHAT SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER AMOUNT OF TREES REMOVED.

UH, AND I THINK THE 2024 NUMBER OF, UH, TREES REMOVED OR, OR NOT REMOVED, I COULD LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, BUT IT SEEMED, UH, THE PERCENTAGE SEEMED SOMEWHAT LOWER.

LIKE I THINK IT WAS LIKE MOST OF THE OTHER YEARS WERE 80% AND THAT ONE WAS IN THE 60%.

I WAS WONDERING IF, UH, YOU'D BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME, UH, SOME CONTEXT AS TO, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, ARE THERE, LIKE, IS IT JUST MORE PROJECTS? IS IT BIGGER PROJECTS? LIKE

[02:45:01]

AND ANOTHER FACTOR WOULD BE, UH, TREE LOSS FROM TWO STORMS. UH, WINTER STORM URI IN FEBRUARY, 2021 AND WINTER STORM MARA IN 2023.

SO, UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF PLANS THAT COME IN, I WOULD SUPPOSE.

SOUNDS GOOD.

YOU HAVE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS.

COMMISSIONER SULLIVAN.

SO IN THE, IN THE ONE MAP THAT YOU SHOWED THAT HAD 10 REGIONS IN IT, THAT'S WHERE, UM, YOU HAVE INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE THAT DO THE INSPECTIONS IN THOSE AREAS? YEAH.

YES SIR.

THAT IS UNDER BRIAN EGAN'S GROUP.

, UM, HE'S THE DIVISION MANAGER FOR ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTIONS.

SO THEY BOTH ON THE SINGLE FAMILY SIDE AND THE COMMERCIAL SIDE, THEY DIVIDE UP TERRITORIES? MM-HMM, .

ALRIGHT.

AND ARE AND ARE THOSE MADE UP, ARE THOSE LINES DRAWN ON THAT BASED ON THE, UH, SIMILAR TYPES OF TREES OR IN THOSE AREAS LIKE 'CAUSE THE, UM, TOPOGRAPHY AND THE SOIL TYPES OR? I BELIEVE THOSE MAPS ARE PROBABLY PROBABLY BUILT ALONG LIKE MAJOR ROADS, UM, YOU KNOW, BOUNDARIES.

MM-HMM, .

UM, AND HOW MANY, UM, I, I DO KNOW THEY ARE SHORT STAFFED AND SO THEY'VE GOT A LOT OF INSPECTORS COVERING OTHER TERRITORIES THAT'S NOT ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION, BUT AS I BELIEVE THEY WERE CREATED TO BALANCE OUT, UM, GEOGRAPHICAL AREAS.

UH, NOT SO MUCH ON TREE CANOPY OR TREE COVER, BUT WHAT INSPECTORS CAN COVER.

ALRIGHT.

THANK YOU THOUGH, COMMISSIONER BRIER.

NOW I HAVE NO QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SECRETARY BRISTOL.

I FIND IT SHOCKING THAT COMMISSIONER ER DOES NOT HAVE QUESTIONS, BUT THANK YOU.

WELL, I'M JUST TEASING YOU.

I'M JUST TEASING .

NO, I TAKE THIS VERY SERIOUSLY.

I KNOW, I KNOW YOU THROW IT ON THE GAUNTLET.

I DO.

NO, NO, NO.

I'M, I'M HERE, I'M WILLING TO PICK IT UP AND GO, GO TO WAR OVER THIS IF YOU .

SO, UM, I DO, MY QUESTION, UM, IS IN REGARDS TO OAK WILT, UM, AND, UM, MITIGATION OF THAT AND, AND WHAT'S KIND OF BEING DONE A LITTLE BIT, I MEAN, I KNOW THAT IT'S REALLY, YOU KNOW, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD BY NEIGHBORHOOD, BUT TALK TO ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.

UH, OAK WILT, WHEN THERE ARE CONFIRMED SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS AND SOMETIMES LAB REPORTS, UM, OAK WILT MEETS THE CRITERIA OF DISEASED UNDER THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CODE AND WOULD NOT REQUIRE MITIGATION.

SO IT, IT, IT, IT IS CONSIDERED A DISEASE.

UM, UH, AS AN ASIDE, MOST OF MY STAFF HAVE GOTTEN THAT OAK WIL QUALIFICATIONS THAT WE CAN LOOK AND VERIFY IF, IF OAK WILL IS PRESENT ON A NEIGHBORHOOD BY NEIGHBORHOOD.

UM, PLAN THAT'S REALLY GOING THROUGH EMILY KING, OUR URBAN FORESTERS, UM, PROGRAM.

UM, SO SHE CAN SPEAK TO THEIR EFFORTS ON OAK WILT, UH, DO KNOW ON THEIR WEBPAGE THEY SPEAK TO IT, THEY DO COMMUNITY EVENTS AND EDUCATIONAL AWARENESS ON THAT.

BUT IN TERMS OF REGULATORY, IT'S, IT IS A, IT QUALIFIES AS DISEASE.

YEAH, I'M OFTEN CONCERNED THAT A LOT OF TIMES THE THE TREES THAT ARE DISEASED ARE ON PEOPLE'S PROPERTIES THAT, YOU KNOW, MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO MAINTAIN THOSE TREES AND, AND, UH, LIKE TO SEE SOME, SOME ASSISTANCE IN THAT, ESPECIALLY FOR OUR SENIORS, UM, UH, IN, IN SOME OF THOSE OLDER NEIGHBORHOODS.

UM, MY OTHER QUESTION TOO, AND I KNOW YOU SAID THIS KIND OF FALLS MORE INTO THE COMPLIANCE SPECIALIST, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR, UH, HOW DO I WANNA SAY THIS? UH, I NOTICE TREES A LOT.

I LOVE TREES AND I, UM, OFTEN SEE, UH, TREES BEING TAKEN DOWN, YOU KNOW, AT A RESIDENTIAL OR IN, AND I KNOW THEY DON'T HAVE A PERMIT.

UM, YOU KNOW, UM, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE ADDRESS THAT? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU ALSO DON'T WANNA BE A KIND OF A RATTY NEIGHBOR.

UM, BUT YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IS THAT 3 1 1 IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IT IS.

EGAN'S, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL DIVISION MANAGERS, HIS DIVISION THAT WORKS SLOWLY ON, ON ENFORCEMENT AND RESPONDS TO THOSE 3 1 1 CALLS.

IT'S DIRECTLY THROUGH 3 1 1.

AND SO THE INSPECTORS WILL LOOK AT IT, LOOK AT THE APPROVED PLANS.

UM, SO THERE IS AN ENFORCEMENT WING OF, UM, MR.

[02:50:01]

YEAH, I'M THINKING THAT LIKE THERE'S NO PLANS, YOU KNOW, LIKE THEY'RE JUST TAKING A TREE.

SO THEY'RE, THEY, YOU KNOW, IT'S, THAT WOULD BE THROUGH 3 1 1.

AND, UH, I DO WANNA COMMEND, UM, THE ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTIONS DIVISION FOR REALLY WORKING TIGHT WITH 3 1 1 TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE ON, IF YOU DO IT ONLINE OR IF YOU DO IT THROUGH THE APP, YOU CAN EASILY SEE IF IT'S A TREE IN A PARK, IF IT'S A TREE IN A PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY, IF IT'S A TREES AND ENFORCEMENT.

UM, SO VOICE ANY CONCERNS, AND IT ALL GOES RIGHT THROUGH 3 1 1.

AND IT'S USUALLY THEY LOOK AT IT VERY FAST.

UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT.

UM, AND THEN, UM, AS FAR AS, UM, YOU KNOW, CANOPY GOES AND, AND YOU TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, A A LOT OF CANOPY LOSS, UM, WITH THE TWO WINTER STORMS. DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA OF, OF HOW MUCH CANOPY LOST THAT, THAT WE SUFFERED DURING THAT TIME PERIOD? OR, AND THEN ALSO WHAT'S THE KIND OF THE REPLANTING OR, UH, REESTABLISHMENT OF SOME OF THOSE AREAS? UM, THE TEXAS A AND M FORESTRY SERVICE PUT OUT A BULLETIN AFTER THE FEBRUARY, JANUARY, FEBRUARY, UH, STORM, UM, THAT WAS TALKED ABOUT TREE DAMAGE, UM, POTENTIAL CANOPY LAST.

SO THAT IS NOT, UM, SOMETHING MY GROUP TRACKS.

UM, WE LOOK AT EACH SITE BY SITE.

UM, WE DID SEE A LOT OF TREE DAMAGE, UM, BUT WE ARE NOT TRACKING CANOPY.

UM, WE ARE TRACKING, UM, NO MORE THAN 25% OF A LIVE CROWN ON A DEVELOPMENT SITE OF A PROTECTED TREE MAY BE REMOVED, UM, WITHOUT OUR REVIEW.

SO WE LOOK AT IT AT A VERY CASE BY CASE BASIS.

UM, THAT'S SOMETHING POSSIBLY THE URBAN FORESTRY GROUP COULD ANSWER.

VERY GOOD.

COOL.

I JUST HAD ONE QUESTION.

I WAS KIND OF WONDERING WHY THE PALM TREES AREN'T, UM, REGULATED BY THIS, UM, THAT THEY'RE CONSIDERED A, TO USE THE BOTANY TERM, A MONOCOT? UM, THEY'RE GRASS, BASICALLY.

OH.

SO THEY'RE NOT CONSIDERED PROTECTED AT ANY SIZE IN THE CITY OF BOSTON.

I CAN GO TO SLEEP TODAY BECAUSE I HAVE JUST LEARNED SOMETHING FASCINATING , BUT I NEVER KNOW BEFORE.

ME NEITHER , MY UNDERGRAD WAS IN BOTANY, SO HITTING HER DOUBT .

UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS? OH, UH, COMMISSIONER SHERA.

THANKS.

I WAS JUST LOOKING FOR THE DATA POINTS FROM THE A AND M FOREST SERVICE AND IT WAS IMPACTING 30% OF THE CITY'S TOTAL TREE CAMP PEAK COVERAGE FROM, FROM THAT SPECIFIC STORM FROM YURI.

PRETTY SURE.

UH, COMMISSIONER.

SO I THINK, I THINK THAT 30% DOESN'T MEAN THAT IS A LOSS OF 30%, BUT IT COULD BE THAT UP TO 30% WAS AT MINIMUM LIGHTLY IMPACTED.

THEY HAVE SOME SOME RATINGS AND DO GO INTO DETAIL ABOUT IT.

UM, ANYTHING ELSE? COMMISSIONERS.

WELL THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING OUT AND TELLING US MORE ABOUT THE TREES AND TEACHING US THAT AS A GRASS FOR THE PALM.

I DID NOT KNOW.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.

UP WE HAVE COMMITTEE UPDATES, UPDATE FROM THE URBAN FORESTRY COMMITTEE ON THE DRAFT RECOMMENDATION TO IMPROVE THE TREE CANOPY.

UH, NEXT

[6. Update from the Urban Forestry Committee on the draft recommendation to improve the tree canopy – Richard Brimer ]

COMMISSIONER PRIMARY.

FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? COMMISSIONERS? I, I JUST WANNA POINT OUT TOO THAT I ALSO DID NOT, UH, MEET THE CUTOFF, UH, TO TELL YOU ABOUT OUR BELK COUNTY CANYON LANDS, UM, ADVISORY GROUP MEETING.

UH, WE WERE GONNA BRING THAT BEFORE YOU GUYS TONIGHT, BUT, UH, WE DIDN'T MAKE THE, UH, CUTOFF.

SO, UH, IT'S, I, MY ASSUMPTION IS TALKING WITH ELIZABETH THAT IT'S GONNA BE THE FUTURE WEEK ON THE 21ST OR THE 20TH SOMETHING.

AND, UH, SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO THEN.

UH, WE MET, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER SHERA AND I MET THE OTHER DAY TO HAMMER OUT THE FINAL LITTLE DRAFTS.

I THINK, UH, COMMISSIONER FER MADE SOME SUGGESTIONS.

WE'VE GOT THOSE PUT IN THERE AND, UH, SO WE MADE A FEW MINOR CHANGES TO ACCOMMODATE THAT.

AND, UH, THAT'S ABOUT IT.

NICE.

SO WE'RE READY TO ROCK AND ROLL IT PROBABLY NOT GONNA BE AS ELOQUENTLY

[02:55:02]

ORGANIZED AS, UH, .

I'LL BE FINE.

THE BIRD, THE, THE BIRD ONE, BUT, UH, WE'LL DO OUR BEST.

AWESOME.

WELL THAT'S GOOD NEWS.

UM, ANY

[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]

BUT, UM, I WILL DO SO, UM, FOR NEXT MEETING.

SWEET DEAL.

UM, OKAY.

I DON'T SEE ANYTHING ELSE, UM, BEING PRESENTED.

OH, I DO HAVE, UH, I WANNA FORMALLY ASK, UM, THAT WE HAVE AN UPDATE, UM, ON LOOKING AT, UM, TURF.

ARTIFICIAL TURF AND, UM, WHAT THE CITY IS KIND OF THING ABOUT THAT, WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT IN THE HALLWAY.

YES.